Dr Muhammad Khan
A DEBATE was generated in Pakistan and China after the statement of US diplomat, Ms Alice Well on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Ms Well was found advising Pakistan to reconcile with this gigantic project since it may become a burden on the economy of Pakistan. In her statement she said, “CPEC might take a toll on Pakistan’s economy as it was not an aid but a form of financing that guaranteed profits for Chinese state-owned enterprises.” Pakistan rejected this ill-founded statement, since it considers this mammoth project as a great opportunity for linking together all provinces and communities with each other and further joining them with other regions.
Besides Pakistan, China also rejected this statement. Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Geng Shuang, termed the statement as something routine from Washington; “mere repetition of old slanders against China, the CPEC and the BRI.” Mr Yao Jing, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, said, “Pak-China relations are based on win-win cooperation and are mutually beneficial”. Indeed, time and again, Pakistan and China have refuted such statements and conspiracies. US concerns are indeed, part of its rivalry with the rising power of China in the international politics. In fact, the “world has moved into a new and unsettling geopolitical phase”. It is not just getting into a multi-polar mode, but indeed the multi-conceptual on academic front with emergence of multiple power centres. ‘International politics has diversified and moved beyond conventional military build-ups, which include new cyber sources of hard and soft power, reconfigured trade and investment linkages, proxy conflicts, changing alliance dynamics and potential flashpoints related to the global commons.’ Evaluating and mitigating risks across all these theatres of potential conflict require careful analysis and an all-encompassing strategy; the real interpretation of the globalization. Indeed, the globalization is all about the compression of time and space which can best be attained through inter-connectedness between states and regions.
The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), connecting Asia through Eurasian region with Europe and Africa provides best recipe for the attainment of a win-win situation to East and West alike. The Belt and Road Initiative is a massive project aiming at improving regional cooperation through better connectivity among countries lying on the ancient Silk Road and beyond. It includes the Silk Road Economic Belt for the land part and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road for the naval part.
Realistically, under the changing global and regional geopolitical environment, BRI acts a ladder for the attainment of much needed global peace and much desired economic prosperity by building the long-awaited and essentially vital communication infrastructure. Infrastructural development, as envisaged in BRI equally needed by developed and developing world. However, the BRI has taken extra care of developing world, especially the poorest countries.
In South and Central Asian regions, there are major stakes connected with BRI. Through BRI the Eurasian Heartland could emerge, little by little, from its global isolation to international mainstream. In South Asia, CPEC, the first flagship project of BRI has opened new vistas for the economic development and greater regional cooperation. Upon its completion in 2030, the impact of CPEC will be felt not only by Pakistan and China but also by all regional states including those creating hurdles through undesired motives and unfounded bases. Both countries are dedicated to complete this test case project even before the estimated time.
In the light of Halford John Mackinder’s theoretical perspective, Pakistan is a “Geographical Pivot” connecting various regions of Asia. Whereas Pakistan has been blessed with this Pivotal position, there are many regional and global challenges too which have been putting lot of constraints in accruing the true benefits from its God gifted geopolitical location. Nevertheless, CPEC would be helpful to a greater extent in overcoming these constraints.
There is yet another unexplored dimension of CPEC and BRI. These massive projects would act as a potential source for reducing the growing trends of militancy and radicalization in the broader Eurasian region, otherwise considered to be the militancy hit areas. In this way, BRI will be instrumental in bringing peace and cooperation among the communities, states and various regions of the world for achieving “shared growth through discussion and collaboration”. Whereas, we are looking at the brighter promising dimensions of BRI, there are substantial international challenges, confronting this gigantic global project in all fields; the economic, political and above all the strategic, emanating from vulnerabilities of great powers, considering China as a potential threat and a peer competitor in the international politics. These challenges are acting as hurdles towards successful completion of BRI.
The heavily funded BRI and CPEC are indeed, weaving the regional economies and societies together, a great leap forward towards regional economic uplift and prosperity, a drive towards narrow state centric approach to a broader regional and global approach. The poverty ridden South and Central Asian regions, otherwise eagerly waiting for a durable peace and economic development in their areas, will be among the early beneficiaries. CPEC as part of BRI is aimed at creating enabling grounds for all countries to revamp, modernize and kick start their economies and provide job opportunities to their unemployed masses for shrinking the angsts in order to create an all-inclusive international society.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and International Relations at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
