China Trade Review | The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is the Best Gift for Pakistan and the World

This year is not only the 10th anniversary of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, but also the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. As a landmark project of jointly building the "the Belt and Road", which is often envied or even envied by western countries, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has made great contributions to the modernization of infrastructure in Pakistan and neighboring countries in South Asia, as well as brought huge economic benefits. For this reason, Pakistan calls the China Pakistan Economic Corridor "the best gift for Pakistan and the world".
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor, which was launched in 2013, has become a corridor to assist the Pakistani people in embarking on their dream journey. In 2015, the governments of China and Pakistan established a "1+4" cooperation layout centered around the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, with a focus on Gwadar Port, energy, transportation infrastructure, and industrial cooperation. As of the end of 2022, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor has brought a cumulative direct investment of 25.4 billion US dollars to Pakistan, helping Pakistan add 8000 megawatts of electricity and 886 kilometers of national core transmission network, providing nearly one-third of Pakistan's electricity supply, Solved the power shortage problem for millions of Pakistani people, allowing them to see light from the darkness.
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor has created a total of 236000 job opportunities simultaneously, effectively reducing Pakistan's unemployment rate. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor has also helped Pakistan add 510 kilometers of expressways. With the completion and opening of the Peshawar Karachi Expressway, it connects Pakistan's two economic center cities - Multan and Sukkur, becoming the only fast lane connecting Pakistan's north-south corridor.

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor not only fulfills the dream of the Pakistani people, but also enables the people of Pakistan and the whole region to discover the magic charm and tangible benefits of the "the Belt and Road". According to the research report of the World Bank, by 2030, the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" will increase the trade of participating countries by 2.8% to 9.7%, the global trade volume by 1.7% to 6.2%, and the global income by 0.7% to 2.9%.

Therefore, in the face of some Western countries and individual neighboring countries slandering and smearing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan's Minister of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, recently refuted in a media interview, "I believe the criticism of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is out of jealousy. Because it has brought about very positive changes for Pakistan
Ahsan Iqbal further pointed out that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is a very unique project in the relationship between the two countries. Usually, two countries approach each other when needed and stay away when not needed. But for China and Pakistan, it is always spring, and this relationship has never been autumn
The China Pakistan Economic Corridor will also bring "spring" to South Asia and even the wider region. According to the latest forecast, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor can bring huge economic benefits to approximately 3 billion people in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, the Middle East, and even the entire region, promoting common prosperity in the aforementioned regions. In response, Nisar Ahmed Chima, a member of the Pakistan National Health Services Coordination Committee, once again told the media that "the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is the best gift for Pakistan and the world
It can be seen that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor not only reflects the high-quality co construction of the "the Belt and Road" has become the most popular international public goods, but also reflects the ability to effectively promote the economic and social development of the co construction countries, bring benefits to the people of the co construction countries, and also reflects that China can enable the world standing at the "crossroads" to find new development directions and development models. The "the Belt and Road" also truly responds to the propositions of the times, contributes to the Chinese concept, and embodies the Chinese pattern and responsibility.
It is believed that as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor enters a new stage of high-quality development in the second decade, it will not only further promote the continuous in-depth development of China Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and create a better future for the two peoples, but also continue to guide the development direction of South Asian countries and even the world in the future, and the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" will certainly radiate more unique charm and vitality. (The author is the president of the "the Belt and Road" Research Institute of Hainan University, and the president of the Silk Road Zhigu Research Institute)