Benefits of CPEC go Beyond China and Pakistan

[Rabiya_Khan]

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor can become a turning point for Asia. It will provide economic connectivity between Central, South and East Asia and change the face of international politics by connecting China with Pakistan’s Gwadar port, affording both countries long sought security through development. The CPEC project also aims at reducing counterproductive terrorist / secularist activities in both Xinjiang and Balochistan by providing jobs, economic security and prosperity in the respective regions due to which the project has attracted hostility from both India and US.

India has since long sponsored terrorists and separatists movements in Balochistan, the largest and most underdeveloped province of Pakistan. Indian interference and unveiled support for separatists in Balochistan has been acknowledged by many as a proxy war aiming to destabilize Pakistan. Since the CPEC route will pass through Balochistan and as the project is implemented wisely, the province could benefit from the infrastructure development and job creation, hindering Indian malicious designs.

It is no secret that US is threatened by China. US apprehensions about Pak-China relations in general and CPEC in particular stem from strategic calculations based on the geopolitics of this region. With Xinjiang stabilized, China will be in a better position to replace US in the geopolitical arena.

Additionally, if Pakistan receives a substantial cut from profits generated at Gwadar Port, it will be able to build a sustainable economy, no longer requiring aid and reducing its dependence on IMF. It is noteworthy to mention that IMF loans and aid have been used as a political weapon in the past to coerce Pakistan into giving into the geopolitical aspirations of US, which has time and again used both loans and aid to take benefit from Pakistan’s strategic location. Now with CPEC, Pakistan is benefitting from a massive influx of Chinese investment and soft loans. Consequently, Pakistan is not only reducing its economic dependence on the US but is also depriving US of its coercive powers.

Given that both India and US have vested interested in the region, both countries now side with each other over the issue of CPEC in a bid to use power play and coercion to shut the project down. This has resulted in an internationalized propaganda campaign, which uses both territorial claims and the lack of information available about CPEC to the public as grounds to spread confusion and discredit the project. A joint Pak-China strategy to both counter and inform the public is now the need of the hour.

The simple truth of the matter is that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir enjoy a better life with active participation in both economy and politics of Pakistan. With CPEC, their lives will become even better while their counterparts in India Occupied Kashmir suffer at the hands of India and its brutal Army. Escalating violence since 2016 against the public in Indian Occupied Kashmir at the hands of security forces is both well documented and frequently highlighted internationally. Raising objections to CPEC by stating that it passes through disputed territory begs the question that what has India done to make the lives of people of Indian Occupied Kashmir comfortable? If the territory is disputed, then why does India constantly sweep it under the rug and try to internalize the issue of Kashmir? And why does it not grant the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir the plebiscite that was promised under UN resolution decades ago?

The stability of Asia and prosperity of all countries involved relies on the resolution of Kashmir issue. It is high time India comes to the table and resolves the matter with Pakistan once and for all.

Written By Bia Fakhar - https://biafakhar.blogspot.com/2018/08/benefits-of-cpec-go-beyond-pakistan-and.html

 

[khansaheeb]

Seems like India has created a nest of terrorism in Afghanistan. Some Afghans are so namak harem after so much Pakistan did for them.

CPEC will be just fine as long as there is : Transparency, accountability, clarity, efficiency, continuous improvement, military and civil monitoring and control.

CPEC will never reach it's full potential until a rail link is established between China and Pakistan. This is the next big project we need to implement and well worth the national sacrifice. All one belt countries need to standardise their railway system so trains can run across borders with just driver changes.

Nothing can stop the GREAT TRADE of the 21st Century the biggest trade enterprise in Human history.

 

[Shane]

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor can become a turning point for Asia. It will provide economic connectivity between Central, South and East Asia and change the face of international politics by connecting China with Pakistan’s Gwadar port, affording both countries long sought security through development. The CPEC project also aims at reducing counterproductive terrorist / secularist activities in both Xinjiang and Balochistan by providing jobs, economic security and prosperity in the respective regions due to which the project has attracted hostility from both India and US.

India has since long sponsored terrorists and separatists movements in Balochistan, the largest and most underdeveloped province of Pakistan. Indian interference and unveiled support for separatists in Balochistan has been acknowledged by many as a proxy war aiming to destabilize Pakistan. Since the CPEC route will pass through Balochistan and as the project is implemented wisely, the province could benefit from the infrastructure development and job creation, hindering Indian malicious designs.

It is no secret that US is threatened by China. US apprehensions about Pak-China relations in general and CPEC in particular stem from strategic calculations based on the geopolitics of this region. With Xinjiang stabilized, China will be in a better position to replace US in the geopolitical arena.

Additionally, if Pakistan receives a substantial cut from profits generated at Gwadar Port, it will be able to build a sustainable economy, no longer requiring aid and reducing its dependence on IMF. It is noteworthy to mention that IMF loans and aid have been used as a political weapon in the past to coerce Pakistan into giving into the geopolitical aspirations of US, which has time and again used both loans and aid to take benefit from Pakistan’s strategic location. Now with CPEC, Pakistan is benefitting from a massive influx of Chinese investment and soft loans. Consequently, Pakistan is not only reducing its economic dependence on the US but is also depriving US of its coercive powers.

Given that both India and US have vested interested in the region, both countries now side with each other over the issue of CPEC in a bid to use power play and coercion to shut the project down. This has resulted in an internationalized propaganda campaign, which uses both territorial claims and the lack of information available about CPEC to the public as grounds to spread confusion and discredit the project. A joint Pak-China strategy to both counter and inform the public is now the need of the hour.

The simple truth of the matter is that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir enjoy a better life with active participation in both economy and politics of Pakistan. With CPEC, their lives will become even better while their counterparts in India Occupied Kashmir suffer at the hands of India and its brutal Army. Escalating violence since 2016 against the public in Indian Occupied Kashmir at the hands of security forces is both well documented and frequently highlighted internationally. Raising objections to CPEC by stating that it passes through disputed territory begs the question that what has India done to make the lives of people of Indian Occupied Kashmir comfortable? If the territory is disputed, then why does India constantly sweep it under the rug and try to internalize the issue of Kashmir? And why does it not grant the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir the plebiscite that was promised under UN resolution decades ago?

The stability of Asia and prosperity of all countries involved relies on the resolution of Kashmir issue. It is high time India comes to the table and resolves the matter with Pakistan once and for all.

Written By Bia Fakhar - https://biafakhar.blogspot.com/2018/08/benefits-of-cpec-go-beyond-pakistan-and.html

Nice share.

Pakistan has not been correctly prioritising its CPEC projects due to political medling and commission mafia Sharif family's rule.

The best infrastructure investment Pakistan can make that can establish and fast track CPEC trade and development in Pakitan is to upgrade existing and establish missing double track for simultaneous two way train traffic along the length and breadth of Pakistan and extend out train track as close as possible in incrimental sections to ultimately link it with that of China asap.

With the Sharifs gone, hopefully things will in Sha Allah turn around now but their henchmen in bureaucracy are still entrenched deep enough in the current system to throw the new government off any signuficant changes in the legacy projects and misplaced priorities like orange line metropolitan train and dry ports instead of upgrading existing infrastructure and any push towards extending train track closer to Chinese Kashghar in incrimental steps.

Quoting Wikipedia:

Pakistan to China - There is no present rail link with China. On 28 February 2007, contracts were awarded for feasibility studies on the Taxila–Khunjerab Line, extending it from Havelian via the Khunjerab Pass to the Chinese railhead at Kashgar, a distance of about 750 kilometres (470 mi).

- End Quote -

The local press reported in 2016 regarding a project to upgrade train tracks under CPEC development framework for upgrading a mainline (ML-l) of the Pakistan Railways to smoothen the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traffic.

According to the project documents, the cost of upgrading of Pakistan Railways existing Mainline (ML-I) and establishment of a dry port near Havelian is $8.2 billion, which the Chinese government will finance with a $7 billion concessionary loan.

The project envisages upgrading of the railways existing mainline from Karachi to Peshawar having total length of 1,872 km including 91 km Lodhran-Khanewal section and 55 km Taxila-Havelian section.

The major scope of work will involve 1,598 km upgrading of existing double and single track and overhauling of 930 km existing double line. The construction of 676 km new track from Lalamusa to Peshawar including Karachi-Kotri/Hyderabad with UIC-60 rail, construction of tunnels, bridges and culverts along with allied structures and facilities for 25 ton axle load capacity as opposed to existing 22.86 ton permissible axle load are also part of the project.

In 2016, the project was planned to be completed in two phases in five years by 2021 on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode. Phase-I was to be completed by December 2017 and Phase-II by the year 2021.

I don't know if even the project moved beyond PC-1 stage yet but we sure do know that Lahore Orange line local Train was fast tracked by the commission hungry Sharifs, worth 1 billion dollars and lis 90% ready which will play Zero role in CPEC trade or cargo traffic.

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

CPEC, by definition, is a two-way trade route!!! China will also become a humangous consumer for quality foreign goods and services at a bargain price - may be sooner than anticipated!!! Historically speaking, the Ottoman Empire's decline coincided with losing the land-based trade route to the ocean-based one!!! Needless to say, the reversal of the mode will benefit the hitherto un-hinged ones!!! Hence, the folks with these privileges are putting all the hurdles possible not to share them!!! They have forgotten that power and wealth of the nations aren't their birth rights - it's cyclically moved around by the SUPREME ZAT as HE pleases....

 

[El Sidd]

In a world of tariff and trade wars. The silk route enjoys the crown

 

[khansaheeb]

Nice share.

Pakistan has not been correctly prioritising its CPEC projects due to political medling and commission mafia Sharif family's rule.

The best infrastructure investment Pakistan can make that can establish and fast track CPEC trade and development in Pakitan is to upgrade existing and establish missing double track for simultaneous two way train traffic along the length and breadth of Pakistan and extend out train track as close as possible in incrimental sections to ultimately link it with that of China asap.

With the Sharifs gone, hopefully things will in Sha Allah turn around now but their henchmen in bureaucracy are still entrenched deep enough in the current system to throw the new government off any signuficant changes in the legacy projects and misplaced priorities like orange line metropolitan train and dry ports instead of upgrading existing infrastructure and any push towards extending train track closer to Chinese Kashghar in incrimental steps.

Quoting Wikipedia:

Pakistan to China - There is no present rail link with China. On 28 February 2007, contracts were awarded for feasibility studies on the Taxila–Khunjerab Line, extending it from Havelian via the Khunjerab Pass to the Chinese railhead at Kashgar, a distance of about 750 kilometres (470 mi).

- End Quote -

The local press reported in 2016 regarding a project to upgrade train tracks under CPEC development framework for upgrading a mainline (ML-l) of the Pakistan Railways to smoothen the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) traffic.

According to the project documents, the cost of upgrading of Pakistan Railways existing Mainline (ML-I) and establishment of a dry port near Havelian is $8.2 billion, which the Chinese government will finance with a $7 billion concessionary loan.

The project envisages upgrading of the railways existing mainline from Karachi to Peshawar having total length of 1,872 km including 91 km Lodhran-Khanewal section and 55 km Taxila-Havelian section.

The major scope of work will involve 1,598 km upgrading of existing double and single track and overhauling of 930 km existing double line. The construction of 676 km new track from Lalamusa to Peshawar including Karachi-Kotri/Hyderabad with UIC-60 rail, construction of tunnels, bridges and culverts along with allied structures and facilities for 25 ton axle load capacity as opposed to existing 22.86 ton permissible axle load are also part of the project.

In 2016, the project was planned to be completed in two phases in five years by 2021 on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode. Phase-I was to be completed by December 2017 and Phase-II by the year 2021.

I don't know if even the project moved beyond PC-1 stage yet but we sure do know that Lahore Orange line local Train was fast tracked by the commission hungry Sharifs, worth 1 billion dollars and lis 90% ready which will play Zero role in CPEC trade or cargo traffic.

The key bottle-neck for CPEC is the Karakorum Pass it is vital and imperative that we build a robust rail link across here and only have trucks and vehicles going by train and have the road for defense purposes.We need the whole of Africa-China trade going through here so Pakistan and China must give this rail link the highest priority. The rest I leave to your foresight and imagination.

The key bottle-neck for CPEC is the Karakorum Pass it is vital and imperative that we build a robust rail link across here and only have trucks and vehicles going by train and have the road for defense purposes.We need the whole of Africa-China trade going through here so Pakistan and China must give this rail link the highest priority. The rest I leave to your foresight and imagination.

On another note I am happy to work for free on the Karakorum rail link for 6 months to help Pakistan.