China Pakistan Economic Corridor Projects Research Articles

Comparative Dynamics of the Belt and Road Initiative: Unveiling the Unique Position and Implications of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

The Belt and Road Initiative introduced by China is one of the biggest infrastructure and development projects striving to facilitate commercial exchanges and stimulate growth through construction, trade, and investment links across countries and continents. Under this grand framework, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) arose as a significant and novel dimension of the deepening bilateral relationship between Beijing and Islamabad Meanwhile CPEC plays a strategic role as a critical artery that aims to redefine the regional dynamics. This article undertakes analytical research to disclose the position as well as consequences of CPEC among other projects comprising the BRI on a global scale. Through fine-grained analysis of the political, economic, and social dimensions of CPEC somehow positioned next to other BRI projects, this study can identify the uniqueness of CPEC at the level of its ambitions, challenges, and implications on both regional geopolitics and economic frameworks. The paper draws upon a combination of qualitative and quantitative data, comprising CPEC project results, bilateral agreements, and economic indicators, among others, to demonstrate how CPEC functions as a driving force towards economic transformation in Pakistan with associated implications for international trade corridors. Moreover, the research sheds light on the geopolitical strategies behind China’s investments and brings to the surface how CPEC is not only employed in economic affairs but rather military and geopolitical interests for China in South Asia as well. Such a comparative study assists in the process of knowing the multilayered nature of the BRI, and bringing forth those emerging insights on how projects like CPEC can form the structure of global economic and governance engagement of the 21st century.

Environmental Impacts of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC): An analysis of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

This article explores the complex environmental impacts of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and suggests sustainable development strategies. Our study reveals significant changes in land use patterns, including loss of important habitat, which is contributing to biodiversity decline. Analysis of air quality data shows increased levels of pollutants in urban areas along the corridor, which are exacerbated by construction activity and increased traffic. Water resource assessments highlight issues related to quality and availability, especially in areas with high industrial activity. In response to these findings, we suggest methods for mitigating and adapting to climate change along the corridor. Interpreting these findings, we argue that these assessments are critical for identifying potential environmental problems and ensuring that development initiatives are built with long-term sustainability in mind. Recommendations for mitigating climate change include international cooperation, increasing public awareness, and using resilient design principles. For future development projects, we include sustainable practices, community involvement and compliance with environmentally friendly standards as important elements in economic growth. We draw conclusions by emphasizing the need for future studies to track long-term impacts, evaluate socio-economic implications, and implement environmentally friendly strategies, maintaining a long-term balance between economic development and environmental conservation in CPEC and other international projects.

STRATEGIC INTEGRATION OF CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC) IN ENHANCING THE MARINE FISHERY SECTOR OF PAKISTAN: A PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH

The marine fishery sector in Pakistan is particularly important in terms of the country’s economy but is still unexplored with problems such as old equipment, limited cold storage and processing, and not much investment made. Due to the emphasis on connectivity and economic cooperation under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it is possible to provide a strategic impetus to the development of the fishery sector. This research work seeks to establish how CPEC may improve the marine fishery industry of Pakistan and find out how the sector may benefit from CPEC investments in infrastructure and related facilities. The specific research questions the way CPEC infrastructure and investment could be optimally used for the development of the marine fishery sector of Pakistan for possible economic gains that could be associated with the integration of CPEC into the fishery sector. The study adopts a descriptive research type of approach whereby the researcher relies on secondary sources of information and analyzed data to assess the status of the marine fishery of Pakistan, identify the opportunities under CPEC for the sector, and establish how the sector can effectively integrate into the framework. The importance is in bringing attention to an overlooked sector that may benefit from the efficient use of CPEC projects. With investment and cooperation in the agriculture and socio-economic sectors, integration in the fishery sector will enhance Pakistan's blue economy and sustainable economic development.

Internal and External Threats to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been considered a significant development project for Pakistan. Since its inception, the project has attracted billions of dollars into Pakistan’s development sector. However, CPEC is facing several challenges driven by both internal and external factors. Internally, CPEC has been disrupted by the Baloch insurgency, which is driven by grievances among the Baloch, recent terrorist activities inspired by the Taliban's return to Afghanistan, and the looming threat of political instability within Pakistan. Externally, the evolving political situation in Afghanistan, India's concerns about territorial disputes, and the competition between the US and China also have implications for the CPEC project. CPEC is an essential part of China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is vital for regional integration. However, the internal and external threats have slowed down the progress of the CPEC project. This paper attempts to analyse the prevailing threats to CPEC and present recommendations to overcome them.

Known and Unknown Environmental Impacts Related to Climate Changes in Pakistan: An Under-Recognized Risk to Local Communities

This study prioritized initiatives within the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), foreign funding, and the associated environmental and national issues. Additionally, it analyzed these factors’ effects on improving infrastructure, commerce, and economic cooperation between China and Pakistan. Besides that, it also studies the current climatic, economic, and political challenges, mainly focused on water and agriculture issues. Climate, economic, and political issues affect the environment. These concerns deserve global attention. Pakistan mainly relies on agriculture, and its water scarcity predisposes it to economic losses, urbanization, and many socioeconomic problems. Climate change and the current flood have devastated the agriculture sector. Water scarcity affects agriculture too and significantly impacts the economy and food resources. The nation has not previously experienced such a profoundly distressing epoch. Pakistan has faced several environmental, economic, and political challenges; specifically, the fields of agriculture and water present notable apprehensions. Unfavorable climatic conditions impede the attainment of sustainable agriculture in Pakistan. Considering the strong reliance of agriculture on water resources, it is crucial to acknowledge that industrialization has resulted in substantial water contamination due to the presence of microplastics and heavy metals. Moreover, the South Asian region experiences a significant scarcity of water resources. Besides that, CPEC is the solution for the financial issues, but it is a big challenge for environmental degradation in the current stage, especially since foreign funding is a key challenge for increasing corruption and bringing more burden on the economy. Unfortunately, foreign funding is not good for Pakistan. To ensure safety, security, and sustainability, CPEC projects should follow environmental regulations. This study provides a new list of CPEC initiative priority tasks that more openly disrupt the initiative, serve the whole project, and give appropriate recommendations for future research and policy-making.

Impact of project managers emotional intelligence on megaprojects success through mediating role of human related agile challenges: Project management as a moderator

Globalization and competition drive rapid adoption of new technologies, leading to a rise in complex projects. Project managers need to know how to lead teams through the planning and execution phases of a project while keeping in line with the organization's objectives. In order to successfully manage complex projects, emotional intelligence is an essential leadership quality. Therefore, the present research aimed to investigate the impact of project manager's emotional intelligence (PMEI) on megaprojects China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) success through mediating roles of human-related agile challenges Inventory (HRACI) and project success factors (PSF), and project management as a moderator. The study employed convenience and purposive sampling methods to collect data from 533 project managers working on CPEC projects. The Smart PLS 4 software was utilized to evaluate the hypotheses. The results of this study indicated that the direct effect of a PMEI is not significant on CPEC. However, through mediating variables, HRACI exhibited a negative and significant association, while PSF positively and significantly mediate the relationship among PMEI and CPEC. Furthermore, project management as a moderator has a significant and positive effect on PMEI and PSF, however, insignificant between PMEI and CPEC, and negatively significant among PMEI and HRACI. The findings of this study are of great significance for project managers and project leaders. They will need to acquire the skills to prevent issues from arising, particularly when conflicts emerge, in order to ensure the success of megaproject. Therefore, current study recommend that PMEI appears to have a vital role in social interactions, promoting emotions of trust, efficient communication, and cooperation with other project teams in high-stress work environments like CPEC. Lastly, theoretical and practical contributions are discussed, as well as research constraints and future research directions.

Exploring the China-Pakistan economic corridor project performance during Covid-19 pandemic

The outburst of the coronavirus into the global arena, first as a respiratory disease and later as a worldwide pandemic and health emergency, pushed the world economic order into complete turmoil and aftermath, posing severe challenges to the financial stability of developing countries like Pakistan. The temporary suspension of economic activities worldwide has resulted in significant disruptions to international supply chains, leading to substantial delays in implementing infrastructure projects associated with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The pandemic has further hindered CPEC progress. Building mega-projects, such as the CPEC, is crucial in determining the economic stability of a nation such as Pakistan. Nevertheless, it is essential to consider that the implementation of infrastructure projects can be subject to delays due to the COVID-19 lockdown and travel restrictions. However, it is worth noting that there needs to be more scholarly research available examining the ongoing progress and performance of CPEC projects from a particular perspective. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown policy and travel restrictions on CPEC project performances by highlighting the role of socioeconomic and infrastructure development factors. The study will shed light on numerous causes of concerns in project development phases and provide policy recommendations to help CPEC officials reduce project losses and better survival in the event of extreme uncertainty. The data were collected through an online survey from all over Pakistan using self-administered questionnaires with 570 responses from CPEC employees, officials, and professors from management and economic departments. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique analyzes the problem mentioned above. As per the results of this study, it is evident that the COVID-19 lockdown policy and travel restrictions have a detrimental effect on the construction of the CPEC project. Moreover, it has been observed that the socioeconomic and infrastructure development associated with the CPEC has a notable impact on the performance of the CPEC projects. This paper aims to provide valuable insights to policymakers by examining the management of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of the CPEC.

Natural Hazard Vulnerability and Risk Assessment: The Case of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

The coverage area of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan, including its critical functional zones within which major projects are located, is prone to different types of natural hazards and disasters. Since 2015, efforts have been made to operationalize CPEC without institutionalizing and establishing a comprehensive natural hazard risk assessment mechanism within the China-Pakistan collaborative framework. It goes against the grain of robust, resilient, and sustainable long-term development of CPEC. This study critically argues for the need to set up a multi-hazard risk assessment and disaster response mechanism as part of the institutional framework of CPEC, responsible for identifying, preparing, and planning against primary, secondary, and tertiary risks in accordance with the varied hazard vulnerability prevalence in varying geospatial and functional zones within the coverage area of CPEC. Overall, the study identifies and discusses the risk-prone nature of the current development of CPEC and proposes a real-time, technologically enabled, natural hazard risk assessment of CPEC projects spread over varying geospatial and functional zones in an institutional framework characterized by the uninterrupted collaboration and concentration of experts and resources from China and Pakistan.

Assessment and Analysis of the Complexities in Sustainability of the Transport Projects Under CPEC: A Grounded Theory Approach

This study proposes a modern research framework for establishing a grounded theory perspective on regional development initiatives along the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Grounded theory is a well-known research approach that uses comparative analysis to generate hypotheses from analyzed data. Thematic event analysis exposes the transitions between domains throughout CPEC project design and execution, including political, economic, social, technical, legal, and environmental elements. The Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) project’s axial coding highlights contextual variables such as problematic agreements, circumvention of regulations, lack of preparation, public indignation, heritage demolition, tree cutting, and regional tensions. These elements, coupled with China-Pakistan relations, the CPEC framework, infrastructural conditions, and other considerations, impact top-down planning, bureaucratic difficulties, and mismanagement of government plans. Consequently, these techniques cause project delays, unsustainable subsidies, historical damage, and environmental implications, raising questions about accountability and political regime change. This chapter focuses on data collection by using the Grounded Theory Method. These ramifications go beyond the CPEC project, emphasizing the significance of consulting key parties and selecting projects based on scientific and technological criteria. Institutional strengthening, climate change policies, and a focus on sustainable development are all critical. Policy consequences include open and accountable resource allocation, enhanced planning and risk assessment, cost-cutting techniques, cultural heritage preservation, specialized courts, and investment in education and healthcare. It is also critical to strengthen democratic institutions and reduce the environmental dangers.

CPEC: Challenges, Opportunities and Socio-Economic Impact on The Muslim World

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project within China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It stands as a corridor encompassing road, railway and maritime infrastructure development, primarily aimed at fostering economic growth. This vast network extends its reach across the Asian continent, with Pakistan at its center, while also involving other Muslim-majority nations, including Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and several Central Asian States. The key promise of CPEC lies in its potential to revitalize the economies of developing countries at large and Muslim-majority nations in particular. The allure of CPEC for participating nations is evident, especially for those facing financial constraints and a dire need for infrastructure development, as it presents a lifeline for economic progress. However, beneath the surface of economic opportunity, there loom socio-economic challenges that warrant careful consideration. These challenges have the potential to impact the relationships between Muslim-majority countries and the Western world, with a specific focus on the Middle Eastern countries. It is within this complex and dynamic context that this research article seeks to provide a comprehensive analysis. The article intends to shed light on two fundamental aspects: firstly, it aims to gauge the willingness of Muslim-majority countries to become integral parts of the CPEC project, evaluating the extent to which they embrace this economic endeavor. Secondly, the research delves into China's role in the region by examining how its economic support and infrastructural development initiatives influence Muslim-majority states. This examination is critical for understanding the opportunities and challenges that the CPEC project presents to the Muslim world and its relationships with the West, especially Middle Eastern nations.

Choosing between energy and ecologies of health: Understanding developmentalism, state formation and local life worlds

AbstractEnvironmental crises, precipitated by a globally dominant model of developmentalism, have changed the lives of less visible communities in geographical peripheries. This study draws on our participant observation of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in general as a massive infrastructural development project and the Qadirabad coal power plant as one of many CPEC projects where developmentalism and local lives intersect with each other. We have presented evidence of how massive development projects bring about consequential but disguised social and environmental impacts on locals. The locals' narratives show that the Qadirabad project has brought about economic, agricultural and environmental degradation in their lives. They believe that the governments in Pakistan are conscious of foreign projects with adverse effects on the everyday lived realities of the people but willfully choose to ignore them.

CPEC is Blessing for Regional Peace and Prosperity

CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) is expected to be a significant opportunity to bring peace, development and prosperity to China, Pakistan and the wider region. The CPEC program takes into account a wide range of perspectives, including but not limited to promoting domestic employment prospects and strengthening regional connectivity. The project's ability to handle many political, economic, and geopolitical difficulties and threats facing Pakistan is one of the project's many multifaceted components that are examined in the article, which principally relies on extensive literature research. The goal of the present study was to examine whether the CPEC project could be a practical means of fostering regional peace and development.This paper attempts to examine the importance of the CPEC initiative in developing domestic employment opportunities and enhancing regional connectivity, although considerable work has already been done on the CPEC project. The qualitative method is adopted to deal with the objectives. The article concludes that the CPEC initiative is poised to usher in a new era of economic development and prosperity for the people of Pakistan, thereby serving as a major turning point for the region. In addition, the study identifies several limitations that may warrant further investigation in future research on the topic.

TEN YEAR ANALYSIS OF CHINA PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC)

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has recently completed its ten-year anniversary, and this research article aims to evaluate its impact and the factors that have influenced its development. Despite facing criticism and challenges, CPEC has brought about some benefits, particularly in terms of transportation infrastructure. However, the project has also encountered difficulties, including protests and concerns about its vagueness. This paper will examine the factors that have affected the development of CPEC, including policy changes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and terrorist attacks. Additionally, it will analyze the trade relations between Pakistan and China and assess the extent to which CPEC has achieved its intended goals. The study will rely on secondary data and literature review to provide a comprehensive understanding of the CPEC project and its outcomes.

Projecting the Chinese Language as a Power Tool in the Discourse on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

ABSTRACT Vision and mission statements are mostly studied with a focus on organizations. This study moves away from the traditional approach by integrating the knowledge of vision/mission/value statements and ads on the same designated object. The organizations involved in the discourse of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC discourse) use an emergent hybrid strategy of utilizing vision/mission/value statements and ads under the umbrella of economic incentives to project the Chinese language as a power-tool in the context of CPEC. Based on the criteria/drivers for strategic communication in Zerfass et al. (2018), CPEC discourse fulfills 6/7 criteria/drivers mentioned: it is resource-driven, competition-driven, environment-driven, innovation-driven, engagement-driven, and operationally-driven. Power theory has been applied, linking the statements and ads to power discourse to find out how different themes carry an underlying power structure exercised by the stakeholders. Using thematic analysis supported by word-clouds as an analytical tool, this study finds out that the intended signaling-effect of the Chinese language in CPEC projects is received willingly by the consumers and stakeholders who, in turn, learn and promote this language as a skill/resource for employability and exertion of power. The findings show that these communicative sources can be utilized strategically in a competition-driven environment.

Green Practices in Mega Development Projects of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor

This research aimed to investigate the green practices in the mega construction project of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Over recent years, there has been an increasing need for adopting and implementing more green and sustainable practices, leading to national and international sustainable and green environmental agendas. To address the issue, green project practices were considered an independent variable comprising green design, procurement, and construction. The dependent variables were environmental performance and economic performance. Primary data were collected from respondents working on the CPEC project. A representative sample of 276 respondents was used. The analysis was conducted using PLS-SEM. The results indicated that green design significantly influences economic performance, green procurement has a positive and significant effect on environmental performance, and green construction has a positive and significant impact on both environmental and economic and financial performance. The research showed that construction management at CPEC should adopt all facets of green project practices together, reducing negative environmental effects, increasing environmental benefits, and improving long-term economic performance in the area.

Financing of CPEC Projects: Implications for Pakistan

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the biggest economic cooperation initiative undertaken in the history of Pakistan. The strong fraternal bonds between Pakistan and China have, since 2015, galvanized into a shared economic future. The corridor will link China’s western region of Xinjiang to Pakistan through the Karakoram crossings, traversing Gilgit Baltistan (GB), through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and all the way to Gwadar in Balochistan at Pakistan’s south western coastline. The projects envisaged under CPEC are estimated to be worth US$ 62 billion including energy projects, railway lines, road networks, with the Gwadar port as the culmination point. Several other projects, such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs), knowledge exchanges and optic fibre network, are also part of CPEC. Financing all the CPEC projects, planned between 2015-2030, will be a huge undertaking for Pakistan’s economy, which continues to suffer from chronic structural issues, a burgeoning external debt, low revenue, negative balance of trade and negative current account deficit. While CPEC has been termed as a “game changer” for Pakistan’s economic future, it has faced criticism on account of its financial sustainability and lack of transparency, with fears that it may lead Pakistan into a Chinese “debt trap”. This research paper examines whether the issues related to financing of CPEC could outweigh the socio-economic benefits to Pakistan’s economy. A deeper examination of this topic reveals that Pakistan’s financial obligations arising out of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) include direct loan repayments of US$ 5.8 billion. This is in addition to the sovereign guarantees, subsidies and other concessions etc. that have been offered by the Government of Pakistan to Chinese firms investing in CPEC. Economic growth projections reveal that successful execution of CPEC projects will generate sufficient fiscal space for the Government to pay off these liabilities by 2035. This will be made possible due to higher growth rates, creation of employment and higher trade volume (both bilaterally with China as well as through enhanced regional trade). While there may be no “debt trap” for Pakistan from CPEC, however, policy makers in Islamabad must remain mindful that it is essentially a commercial undertaking. Pakistan, therefore, needs concrete policy measures to ensure best use of this opportunity to build its infrastructure and human capital. This paper offers several policy recommendations to the Government of Pakistan, including regular followup of progress at leadership level, pursuing regional integration to expand CPEC to Afghanistan and Central Asia, macroeconomic reforms to stabilize the economy, use of innovative methods to manage CPEC debt and liabilites, counter the negative narrative against CPEC, capacity building and technology transfer, capitalize on industrial development through SEZs, early implementation of ML-1 and inclusion of Diamer Bhasha dam in CPEC.
 

A Survey Analyses of Honest Leadership, Improved Infrastructure, and Economic Performance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of honest leadership and improved infrastructure on the economic performance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. In this study, economic factors are taken into consideration to evaluate the economic performance of the CPEC project. For this purpose, primary data is collected from CPEC employees who are working on various projects CPEC through questionnaires. Google forms were shared with them via different social media tools such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram for the data collection. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed, but only 220 were used for data analysis of this study. Therefore, the response rate was 88%. Hypotheses are tested in Smart-PLS version 3 by using structural equation modelling. The findings of this study revealed that there is a positive and significant impact of honest leadership and improved infrastructure on the economic performance of the CPEC project performance. In addition, improved infrastructure is found to have a more positive and significant impact due to higher beta and t-value with respect to honest leadership. The leadership of Pakistan and China should understand the importance of these variables and honest leadership for the successful completion of the CPEC project. The top management of both countries, Pakistan and China, should understand the important of these variables and honest leadership is an important factor for the successful completion of the CPEC project.

Exploring the physical risks and security mechanisms for Chinese companies operating under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor Project

Exploring the physical risks and security mechanisms for Chinese companies operating under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor Project

Socio-economic Expectations of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at Business Community Level. A Case Study of Lahore’s Four Markets, Pakistan

Development and projects brings the prosperity to the communities. Especially mega projects can become the cause of development not only for communities also for marginal groups of the society. These projects make the standard of life higher, alleviate the poverty, controlling the crimes, enhancing the power of state, and upgrade the level of small-scale industry and improving the GDP of states. With this mega project first of all sea port is going established an important port moreover many roads, pipelines, dams, transportation and electric companies in Pakistan. Development induced new innovations, acculturations, cultural diffusions and socio- economic positions of local communities. Lacks of adequate agreement often make the marginal communities homeless and jobless for the rest of their life. Qualitative research design was used and sample was taken through non probability purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured, in depth interviews were conducted with 8 local businessmen of Lahore who were working with Chinese production and directly gaining products from China. By using thematic analysis 8 themes were came out with 3 subcategories. With CPEC they get more benefits, easy transportation, easy access of doing business and acculturations. Local businessmen showed great interest in CPEC project and they are fully excited to enhance their business with this mega project. Business community should be motivated for supporting their business with easy rules and regulation with this mega project.

REVISITING THE DETERMINANTS AND CHALLENGES OF CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC) THROUGH THE LENS OF PUBLIC OPINION

The world has witnessed the establishment of regional and global strategic environment and the 21st century is no exception. It helps encouraging geo-economical and geostrategic partnership among countries. The Belt and Road initiative (BRI) of which China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a flagship project is a major developmental project. The CPEC, undeniably, presents ample opportunities and to both China and Pakistan, it is not a smooth sailing ship as it is jolted by high winds and thrashing waves from all sides. It has invited discontent from inside and criticism from the outside from the very beginning. These voices of discontent especially from the ethnic groups living in close proximity of CPEC projects occasionally have resulted into creating an impression that this project would be doomed. This paper is an attempt to revisit the determinants and challenges that Islamabad is facing both from inside and the outside to implement this mega project. More specifically, it analyses the internal discontent that is reflected through protests by various ethnic groups that feel deprived of the promised economic fruits of this project. It further seeks to evaluate the challenges that exist in the form of public support and public concerns about the promised benefits of CPEC projects. This study is qualitative in nature that utilizes both primary and secondary sources of data collection. Significantly high level of awareness is found among masses about CPEC but public support and concerns are posing serious challenges for the government. Analyzing both the internal and external challenges, a strong resolve have been demonstrated by both Pakistan and China to counter these threats pragmatically. The internal discontent of the various ethnic groups poses a serious challenge, so it is imperative to address the grievances of these aggrieved groups on practical grounds. Keywords: Strategic partnership; Determinants; Challenges; China-Pakistan Economic Corridor; Belt and Road Initiative; Discontent; Criticism; Ethnic groups etc.