Major breakthroughs were achieved in cooperation of transportation infrastructure under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in May, 2016: the biggest transportation infrastructure project in the Corridor—the construction of Peshawar-Karachi highway was kicked off. As a flagship project of the “Belt and Road” initiative, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor covers all areas of Pakistan. It will not only facilitate even more economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, but also inject strong impetus into Pakistan’s efforts to improve infrastructure, ease energy crisis and create jobs, so as to bring shared development for the two countries.

 

The building of the “Belt and Road” is an important measure that China takes to carry out all-round opening-up under new historic circumstances; it is also an important platform to promote win-win ideas and practice. Acceleration of building connectivity infrastructure will facilitate win-win and all-win progress. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan in April 2015, a cooperation agreement amounting to 46 billion dollars was reached by state leaders from both sides to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. This economic and trade cooperation corridor boasts a distance of 3000 kilometres and covers a variety of aspects including roads, railways, power, oil and gas pipelines, and optical fibre cables. This corridor starts from Kashgar of Xinjiang, China, passes through the whole territory of Pakistan from north to south, and ends at the Gwadar Port.

 

1. Strong Support by the Two Peoples

 

This economic corridor which costs 46 billion dollars will provide a “historic opportunity of development” for Pakistan. After signing of the cooperation agreement, the central government and state governments of Pakistan showed immense enthusiasm and offered political and security guarantees; all walks of society and media in Pakistan responded and commented positively and supporting voices dominated, regarding this corridor as a chance in centuries for this country. The all-weather strategic cooperation partnership between China and Pakistan has therefore become a model for state-to-state relations. As shown by a Pew research in 2014, 78% Pakistanis hold a friendly attitude towards China.

 

Over these years, Pakistan has overcome various difficulties and contributed hugely to security and stability in China’s western boarder area. However, due to concerns over Pakistan’s security and lack of energy, there are mixed comments over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in Chinese press. In addition, pessimistic tones shown by western media with or without intention have entailed accusations that this Corridor is a “mirage” or “an abyss for Chinese taxpayers”. Nevertheless, the majority of Chinese people still regard this biggest overseas economic program carried out by China as the “China-Pakistan Emotion Corridor”. They believe that this program will probably succeed amid many risks even dues ahead. Such consensus is mainly based on wide acknowledgement on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor in recent years.

 

2. The Chinese Government Has Done a Lot

 

Since the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” initiative was raised officially, amid that other international investors take cold feet to go to Pakistan due to security situation, China’s centrally-owned enterprises, state-owned-enterprises, private companies and businessmen have been visiting and investing in Pakistan, which has helped to remove bottlenecks blocking local people’s life and economic development.

 

Programs of the economic corridor have been going on well. China and Pakistan have been proactively upgrading the Karakoram Highway and building of Gwadar Port, exploring cooperation in highway, railway, economic parks and cross-border cables. As a result, a series of energy programs that are urgently needed by Pakistan have been implemented: in the Jannah industrial park of Punjab, photovoltaic power equipment invested by Chinese enterprises has fully operated; more hydropower, coal-fire and clean power plants have kicked off after President Xi Jinping’s visit. In transportation, the renewal of railway from Peshawar in the north to Karachi in the south will increase the speed of this significant railway from 80 kilometres per hour to 160 kilometres. In the meantime, a highway, which connects the Gwadar Port and adjacent airport, will provide even more convenience for port construction and operation. The two sides will further promote cooperation in capacity and industrial parks under such frameworks as the AIIB and the Silk Road Fund. The economic and social influences of building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor are prevailing.

 

In 2015, development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was mainly concentrated on energy, infrastructure, industrialization and staff training. It is expected that this year China will invest in total 5 billion dollars in infrastructure construction of Pakistan. Apart from transforming railways, building international airports and schools, China will also build 2-3 industrial parks. Among these projects, the Gwadar Port FTA has been listed as a significant model project.

 

3. Problem for India: Trust and Cooperation

 

Generally, there are three different opinions among India’s diplomacy elites and media: the first opinion is that India shall participate in China’s “Belt and Road” initiative, and make full use of ample opportunities, capital and technology brought along; the second opinion is that India shall make a choice after China provides more details; the third opinion is that from a geopolitical perspective, the “Belt and Road” initiative will increase China’s influence over South Asia and the Indian Ocean, creating negative effects for India.

 

Actually, the construction of the Corridor aims at enhancing Pakistan’s national strength and improving its living standard through peaceful building and economic development, which hopefully will reduce and even eradicate the soil that breeds terrorists. This is highly inductive for sub-continent of India. At the same time, China does not possess the gene to pursue hegemony. The “Belt and Road” initiative is in line with China’s diplomacy policy of “benevolence, security and prosperity for neighboring countries”. Observing the notion of “non-conflict, mutual-respect and win-win cooperation”, China and India can enjoy shared development. To this end, China needs to carry out even more communication with India, enhance coordination of economic development strategies, provide more information, and win more popular understanding and support, so as to facilitate further cooperation.

 

4. China and Pakistan Join Hands to Overcome Difficulties

 

Cooperation under the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” not only demonstrates the friendship between these two “iron buddies”, but also offers opportunities for development in Pakistan. In Pakistan Vision 2025, an outlook document issued by the Pakistani government, three out of seven development pillars are directly linked with the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor”—infrastructure, energy programs and human resources.

 

Nevertheless, there are potential problems in the corridor development that require to be jointly addressed through introduction of solutions.

 

Firstly, most elites and ordinary people in Pakistan hold keen expectations for China, yet they need to be practical and try to avoid excessive aspirations. Due to lack of implementation procedures and details, many Pakistani people think the sum of 46 billion dollars is too good to be true, some others even believe it is merely lip service. Moreover, the public opinion is relatively mixed due to disagreements on specific roadmaps of the corridor and profit distribution of investment among different political groups in Pakistan. Some political parties deliberately distort the construction plan of the corridor in the hope to grasp political gain by opposing. Some institutions and people only utter voice when Americans tell them to.

 

A cautious attitude shall be taken towards doubting voices and opposing actions against the “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” in Pakistan. In terms of diplomacy, China shall see the bigger picture while be concrete on details, and practice prudent diplomacy. To be specific, China is responsible for providing professional and regulated guidance for Pakistan in strategic planning, arrangement, and ways of investment and financing, so as to help Pakistan make a comprehensive program design. In the meantime, China shall cooperate and interact even more with the Pakistani press, guide public opinion when necessary, reduce disagreements, prevent obstructions in corridor-building from negative media coverage, in order to decrease political risks of the project.

 

Secondly, for Chinese people who work in Pakistan, they shall maintain sincerity and goodwill, and be ready to learn, so that they may gradually dissolve obstacles stemming from culture, religion, language and social customs, and facilitate heart-to-heart communication. Therefore it is necessary to provide training on cross-cultural communication for overseas Chinese workers. By informing them Pakistan’s Islam traditions, complicated ethnic relationships and national taboos, deeds that violate local religious customs may be avoided. As media in Pakistan is relatively open and new media is prevailing, if the Chinese government and Chinese people who work in this country do not pay enough attention to sensitive details, some people may make use of certain negative incidents. It is even possible that some extremists will use such incidents as excuses to launch terror attacks.

 

There were some doubting voices when the “Belt and Road” initiative was just introduced, but after two years, things are going well thanks to the way China acts. Like a great river at the downstream, a great country shall possess the manner that integrates hundreds of brooks. Through a high-level standing position, a vision that sees through yesterday and today, and the wisdom to think in the shoes of others, China shall facilitate each program down to earth with emphasis on details, so that as many benefits as possible can be delivered to countries and peoples along the “Belt and Road” even more quickly and widely.

 

    (The author is Head of Institute of Research on Communication Politics of Communication University of China, Council member of the Charhar Institute)