Abstract
AbstractPakistan is a key country in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) where the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is under implementation. An investment model of financing through loans, grants and private investments, CPEC is an example of South-South cooperation (SSC) having a number of benefits for both countries. Aimed at developing energy, industry, and communication infrastructure, the corridor initially valued at $46 billion but is now worth $62 billion. CPEC is expected to contribute significantly to socio-economic development and regional connectivity and trade. The main research question is, while implementing projects in Pakistan, to what extent China adheres to its avowed principles comprising features such as mutual respect, non-conditionality, equality, building local capacity and addressing actual needs of partner countries. Based mainly on the analysis of primary data collected during fieldwork in Pakistan, this research explores the extent to which the official narrative influences the actual practice of China’s development cooperation on the ground. To critically examine CPEC, this chapter uses a monitoring and evaluation framework developed by the Network of Southern Think Tanks (NeST), which is dedicated to generating systematic and clearly comparable knowledge on SSC (Besharati et al. 2017). The findings illustrate that, as per the five broad dimensions of the SSC framework, the China–Pakistan partnership under CPEC has performed well in the four areas of inclusive national ownership, horizontality, self-reliance and sustainability, and development effectiveness, but it has lagged in accountability and transparency.
Highlights
Among the six economic corridors envisaged under the BRI, CPEC is the only corridor that is already in the implementation phase, as work on a number of multi-sector infrastructure projects is already in progress
When exploring which kinds of mechanisms and processes are in place to enable the participation of multiple stakeholders in CPEC projects, in the case of Pakistan, a number of stakeholders are involved in the identification, prioritisation, and recommendation of projects that are funded under CPEC
The deputy director of CPEC at the Ministry of Planning Development Reform (PDR) asserted that Pakistan is conscious of the environmental repercussions of coal-based energy stations, and consistent efforts are underway to minimise the costs to environment—the latest technology has been imported for coal power plants and offers reduced levels of CO2 and other gas emission
Summary
Among the six economic corridors envisaged under the BRI, CPEC is the only corridor that is already in the implementation phase, as work on a number of multi-sector infrastructure projects is already in progress. In just a short time, the corridor has transformed the bilateral ties between the two countries These ties have been cordial in the past but have been limited mainly to mutual cooperation in the areas of defence and security (Ali, 2017). Regular visits and meetings take place between the delegates of both countries These meetings are not limited to political representatives and government officials—stakeholders from academia, business, think tanks, and the media interact regularly. The chapter examines the development partnership between both governments under CPEC to explore whether the official narrative of SSC is practised on the ground. It investigates whether SSC principles and features that China is advocating are being upheld while implementing projects in Pakistan. The chapter begins with an overview of CPEC and its potential contribution to the
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