The Costs of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

The ongoing construction of the multibillion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is hailed in both Islamabad and Beijing as a strategic “game changer” and an economic boon for the people of Pakistan. Over the last three years, however, the mammoth infrastructure initiative has generated growing criticism inside Pakistan for its lack of transparency, the limited inclusion of Pakistani workers and businesses, and its adverse effects on the country’s long-term stabilization and sovereignty. Meanwhile, anti-CPEC discontent in the troubled areas of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan has been harshly suppressed by Pakistani security services. Who in Pakistan has benefited from CPEC, and who has been left out? What are the human and political costs of CPEC, particularly in the minority areas of Gilgit-Baltistan and Balochistan? What will the People’s Republic of China’s growing presence in the country mean for Pakistani sovereignty and prosperity, and how can we expect the new government in Islamaba