CPEC in mellowness epoch
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Shahid Jameel
CPEC is a billions dollar project being implemented since 2015, when both Pakistan and China signed an agreement to construct this Economic Corridor.
The project has a high value for both countries China and Pakistan, due to CPEC the connectivity will open up west China to the south and contribute to “One Belt One Road” initiative policy. The establishment of communication from Kashgar (China) to Gwadar –Baluchistan (Pakistan) has been agreed to be completed by 2030. Chinese Government is trying to utilize the entire necessary supporting role to enabling the environment for the open economic system and logistic system in the regional vision of CPEC.
The CPEC not only for the China and Pakistan but will also benefit the surrounding countries. Pakistan will increase its economic growth through this project, and it is the right initiative for both countries China and Pakistan. CPEC is envisioned as a corridor of peace, prosperity, and development. Although the CPEC will face a lot of challenges has significant potentials of promising future. The peoples of Pakistan were adversely affected in the past due to inadequate opportunities and lack of right decision.
The CPEC will have a transformational impact on the state and the prosperity of the peoples of Pakistan. The visit of President Xi in April 2015 and Chinese commitment of CPEC, sketched the world attention to the new development and growth of the economy, and this will be the real prosperity for the both countries and will promise future for the region/the world.
The corridor will boost up economic development and create new business and job opportunities which will help in the alleviation of poverty. The project will help in Pakistan rebalancing between the geopolitical and geo-economic will improve the infrastructure, the energy requirements, workforce development and economic progress. CPEC is viewed as a game changer for both China-Pakistan and the entire region; economic development and regional integration will be enhanced through connectivity and partnership. It will have a positive impact on the living standard of the common people in the region by providing the numerous opportunities of cooperation and development. It will address the grievances, sense of deprivation, discrimination and poor management of resources, of a different segment of the society of Pakistan.
On the other hand, India is opposing the construction of the CPEC rather than deciding to join it.
Apparentlyly India is opposing the CPEC by offering the logic that the Corridor will be passing through Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, which is a disputed area being part of the former princely State of Jammu & Kashmir. This is a worldwide known fact that Jammu & Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India is recognized by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), that has passed resolutions since 1948 to resolve the dispute based on holding a plebiscite under its supervision to enable the Kashmiris to exercise their right of self determination to express through a vote whether they wanted to join Pakistan or India.
In this context, whereas Pakistan was willing then and is willing even today to hold the plebiscite under UNSC supervision, it is India that refused then and even refuses today to hold the plebiscite under UNSC supervision since India knows that Jammu & Kashmir being a Muslim majority state the outcome of the plebiscite will be in favor of Pakistan and India would lose the state.
Therefore, India’s declared pretext to oppose the CPEC on the ground that it passes through the disputed territory over which India has also a claim is not the actual reason, in fact there are other larger reasons for India opposing the CPEC.
Firstly, keeping up with its traditional desire and strategy of establishing hegemony in South Asia, India does not want to see strengthen Pakistan’s economy by enhancing its trade and investment through development of the CPEC. Therefore India
is playing negative politics by misleading the world through its propaganda by taking an untenable stance that the CPEC is passing through the disputed territory.
Secondly, as per Modi’s anti Pakistan declared policy, India was struggling to isolate Pakistan at regional and world levels. However, as India got disappointed to observe that due to the construction of the CPEC, Pakistan was getting popular at the regional and world levels and India’s efforts of isolating Pakistan were failing, it started opposing the CPEC out of frustration.
Thirdly, India does not want China to enhance its trade and investment in other countries through the connectivity to be facilitated by the CPEC. Since India considers itself as a competitor to China at regional and world levels, it does not want China to further advance economically and in economic diplomacy based on CPEC-related connectivity.
Fourthly, India is opposing the CPEC to slow down China’s economic growth and contain its peaceful rise. This is again a negative politics being played by India against China, because while China has invited India to join the CPEC, India is endeavoring to harm the project.
At the end it can be said that it is beyond doubt that India will ultimately fail in its negative politics in South Asia and under social pressure of regional countries, it will be ultimately convinced to leave its anti-development politics in South Asia and join the CPEC although by then enough precious time would have been wasted to achieve South Asia’s intra-regional economic integration and this region’s economic integration with China and Central Asia.