STRENGTHENING OF PAKISTAN AND CHINA RELATIONS THROUGH CHINA PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

Abstract

The friendship of China and Pakistan is as old as they came into being. They maintained a very cordial, friendly and strong bond since its inception. In 1951 after the formal establishment of diplomatic relations, the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have seen their relationship ever consolidating and progressing. Throughout different historical periods and despite changes with the times, Chinese and Pakistani governments and people have been working hard to enrich the friendship, and have set a model for friendly bilateral ties between different cultures, social systems and ideologies. In 2015 Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistani president Nawaz Sharif properly announced the project China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Both the government of China and Pakistan have deeply realized the importance of developing the CPEC, starting from Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, and reaching Karachi and Gwadar, southern coastal cities in Pakistan via the Khunjerab Pass and several other nodal areas, for cementing China Pakistan economic relations, promoting friendly cooperation and establishing people to people contact between the two countries. CPEC is an economic and development project for the benefit of the people of the region. It will connect Pakistan to Central Asia via the Eurasian Land-Bridge planned under China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. This project is going to be completed in four major phases. Despite all the significance, it faces some challenges from the hostile neighbour of Pakistan: India. Yet, its significance is manifold which covers these challenges.