China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Research Articles

Impact of Gwadar Deep Seaport Development under CPEC on Poverty Alleviation in Gwadar City

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the deep seaport development project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on poverty alleviation in Gwadar city. A review of past research highlights the feasibility of similar projects that have been initiated in other countries and their positive outcomes for regional economies. Previous literature indicates that port development projects enhance local economic growth and help reduce poverty in the region. This study uses three key indicators to measure poverty: education level, health facilities, and living standards. The statistical analysis reveals that improvements in these three indicators have led to a decrease in poverty levels in the region. Under CPEC, various development projects have been launched across the country. However, several issues can limit the benefits of these projects, such as political interference, pressure from vested interest groups, and adverse effects on the natural environment. The study recommends that improving regional connectivity and fostering social interaction among inhabitants are crucial for maximizing the benefits of these development projects and effectively alleviating poverty.

Future Prospects and Scope of China Pakistan Economic Corridor in Modern Maritime Silk Road

The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) stands as a master project within the broader framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), envisioning connectivity and economic cooperation across the Eurasian landmass. With a focus on the maritime dimension, this study explores the future prospects and scope of CPEC within the context of the Modern Maritime Silk Road (MSR). By examining key infrastructure projects, policy frameworks, and geopolitical dynamics, it assesses the potential impacts and opportunities arising from enhanced maritime connectivity between China and Pakistan. The analysis begins by demarcation the strategic importance of maritime routes in economic development and facilitating trade, mainly in the framework of global maritime trade patterns. Additionally, the study explores the consequences of CPEC for regional dynamics, mainly in the Indian Ocean region, where geopolitical competition and maritime security concerns intersect. It examines the potential for transshipment opportunities, economic integration and the growth of regional supply chains helped by CPEC-linked maritime infrastructure.

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.

Beliefs about Difficulties in Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language in a Public Sector University

Chinese language teaching in universities was introduced as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiative (CPEC) signed in 2013 for economic, entrepreneurial, and social reasons. Over a decade of introducing Chinese as a foreign language, Pakistani language learners invested in Chinese language for scholarships, higher education, jobs, and business purposes. However, many CFL learners were unable to acquire Chinese language and had low proficiency in the language. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the beliefs about difficulties that foreign language learners face about learning Chinese as a foreign language in a public sector university. For this purpose, quantitative research using BALLI questionnaire was conducted within a public sector university. The beliefs about language learning inventory (BALLI) questionnaire inquired about the general and specific language learning difficulties that students face while learning CFL. Data was collected using stratified sampling from two hundred undergraduate students who have completed CFL-I and CFL-II language courses at the university. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics through SPSS. The findings of the study showed that learners considered Chinese as a difficult language to learn as compared to other foreign languages. Also, when inquired about the success of their spoken Chinese language in future, few of the participants believed that they would be able to succeed with Chinese language. Similarly, learners reported about the four language skills in Chinese and considered listening as easier than speaking. Additionally, the learners reported that reading and writing are equally difficult in acquiring Chinese.

Native Chinese Language Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching Chinese Abroad

The impact of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) expansion has changed the dynamics of foreign language learning in Pakistan. Due to the increased regional importance of Chinese language, some public and private sector universities are offering Chinese as a compulsory language course at the undergraduate level. Due to the significance of forthcoming opportunities for local youth, one public university in Karachi, Pakistan hired native Chinese teachers to teach undergraduate students Chinese as a foreign language. The present study explored the beliefs of Chinese teachers based on their teaching experiences at the university. Data for this collective case study was collected through semi-structured interviews with three native-Chinese teachers and analysed thematically. The findings revealed that the Chinese teachers held positive beliefs about the prospects of Chinese language learning in Pakistan due to job opportunities. However, they seemed to hold reservations regarding the limited time span for the offered Chinese language course. There were also certain negative beliefs in connection with the traditional learning practices of the learners which the teachers considered barriers to the learners’ language learning. These findings depict the requisite exigency to address the issues highlighted by the Chinese teachers for effective Chinese language learning. The beliefs of teachers and their shared experiences need to be addressed for productive development in teaching and learning Chinese. Curriculum designers and decisionmakers should consider teachers’ beliefs to align the curriculum and teaching methodologies as per the provision that includes teachers’ experiences to further improve Chinese language teaching and learning.

Changes in Surface and Terrestrial Waters in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor Due to Climate Change and Human Activities

Changes in Surface and Terrestrial Waters in the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor Due to Climate Change and Human Activities

Risk Management in Railways Construction Investments: A Case Study of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) ML-1 Project

Abstract Railway projects are incredibly costly due to their complex nature. This study performs risk analysis and management of Pakistan railways ML-1 project expansion and upgradation that will be undertaken at US$6.8 billion under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The risks were identified based on an extensive literature review and their relevance to the CPEC. We employed fuzzy set theory (integrated with the risk severity index) to obtain the most severe risks. The novelty of this study is the technique employed to analyse and rank the risk, also there are no previous studies conducted that emphasized the construction risk of railway projects in Pakistan. The study is useful for all stakeholders of the project, as it can plan for them to tackle these risks and implement ML-1 successfully.

From Silk Road to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC): A Comprehensive Analysis of Economic, Geopolitical, Socio-cultural and Environmental Landscapes of Pakistan

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a transformative infrastructure and economic development project that has garnered global attention. This research paper delves into the historical context of the Silk Road and its resurgence through the CPEC, examining the geopolitical, economic, and socio-cultural implications. CPEC's potential is undeniable, offering economic growth, job creation, and regional connectivity. However, it is not without its complexities, including security issues, political opposition, and environmental impact. The paper concludes by emphasizing that addressing these challenges, promoting transparency, and adhering to sustainable practices are essential to unlock CPEC's full potential and contribute to economic prosperity and regional stability. CPEC's journey from the past to the future symbolizes the enduring power of collaboration, offering valuable lessons for international development and connectivity initiatives. Through a multidisciplinary approach, this paper explores the origins, motivations, challenges, and opportunities associated with the CPEC, shedding light on its potential to reshape regional dynamics and global trade.

Colonial laws, postcolonial infrastructures: Land acquisition, urban informality, and politics of infrastructural development in Pakistan

This article traces (dis)continuities in colonial logics across disjunctures of decolonisation and democratisation through a large infrastructure project in contemporary Lahore, Pakistan. Analysing Lahore’s Orange Line Metro Train, a project constructed under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the article shows how colonial extractive and racial logics can limit the redistributive potential of typically inclusive infrastructures like mass transit by continuing to shape the conditions of their development and (re)producing precarious configurations of citizenship in the postcolony. It finds that Pakistan’s colonial-era land acquisition law erased a range of land relations and rights from recognition and thus compensation by the state. In an instance of informal policy making, the state eventually created an ad hoc ‘grant-in-aid’ scheme to compensate landowners in informal settlements. However, the scheme continued the property centric politics of recognition embedded in the expropriation law by only compensating people with long-term land claims. The public script of the scheme invoked welfare obligations of the state but structured these through moral-legal norms of property. The postcolonial state thus bypassed the transition from colonial subjects to citizens and instead repositioned people as humanitarian subjects. The article thus highlights the contradictions of developing subsidized public infrastructure in postcolonial cities, where construction becomes another conduit of imposing land commodification and disciplining pro-poor self-built neighbourhoods that have escaped the rigidity of private property.

The Politics of Land and Belonging in North Pakistan

Pakistan’s mountainous north borders China. Deepening bilateral ties, together with increasing investments from within Pakistan, have amplified local anxiety over loss of control over resources. A complicated history left the area with multiple land tenure systems. Much of this region, today known as Gilgit-Baltistan, is disputed with India. Consequently, it has a constitutionally liminal status and its people do not enjoy equal citizenship rights. With the construction of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, a major part of the global Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese influence has been entangled in local histories and political economies.

Geopolitics of Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: Sino-Indian rivalry and Implications on Pakistan

Geopolitics of Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: Sino-Indian rivalry and Implications on Pakistan

A Corpus-based Ecosophical Analysis of Discourse Produced Around the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

This research explores the Ecosophy of discourse produced around the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The study starts with building a corpus of texts, taken from the official website of the CPEC. The list of 18 key words was made, based on three United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) out of 17 goals. Theoretical framework of Stibbe’s (2015) ecocritical discourse perspective is used to develop the Ecosophy of the CPEC, while analytical framework is based on three UN sustainable development goals outlined in 2015. Corpus linguistics as a methodology is used to undergo quantitative and qualitative analysis. In quantitative analysis, collocates were analyzed by identifying Mutual Information (MI) score. The highest MI score (11.26013) is gained by the collocation named CPEC-Deforestation and the lowest is of CPEC-Water (0.87352) which show that the infrastructure project of the CPEC caused deforestation and less affected water.

Historical Evolution of Military Cooperation between China and Pakistan: From Strategic Partnerships to All-Weather Friendship

China and Pakistan have a long history of friendship, trust, cooperation and collaboration. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is a great contemporary symbol of Pakistan China friendship. They both also have strong routs of military cooperation. The concept of “all-weather friendship” is inspected as a sign of their deep military relations, about not only strategic cooperation but also the diplomatic solidarity. This paper explores the historical background of military relations between China and Pakistan tracing its routes from strategic cooperation to the “all-weather friendship”. This research paper pays a clear understanding of the multifaceted dynamics, determining the military relations and cooperation of China and Pakistan within the framework of regional security and global geopolitics.

Fostering entrepreneurship and development in rural mountainous regions: the role of SEZs and local economic dynamics in Gilgit-Baltistan

PurposeThis study aims to examine the perceptions and opinions of relevant stakeholders regarding entrepreneurship opportunities and growth in the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) province of Pakistan. Specifically, it focuses on the role of special economic zones (SEZs), such as Maqpondass SEZ and the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in fostering nascent entrepreneurship (NE) and promoting regional development.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs ordered logistic regression to estimate the relationship between various independent variables and nascent entrepreneurship (NE). The independent variables include awareness of CPEC (AAC), awareness of Maqpondass SEZ (AAMEZ), SEZ incentives (SEZInc), regional market competitiveness (RMC), loan availability (LA) and education and experience (EE).FindingsThe findings indicate a robust positive relationship between SEZ-based industries and the growth of local small businesses and enterprises in Gilgit-Baltistan. Furthermore, the study suggests that government incentives, access to finance, skill development, relevant knowledge, and connections with local businesses facilitate the establishment of new ventures.Practical implicationsThe study underscores the importance of focusing on human capital development, providing financial assistance, and creating incentives for adopting advanced technology to foster the growth of local businesses in Gilgit-Baltistan through SEZs. It emphasizes the need for policymakers and stakeholders to prioritize initiatives that support entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by providing novel insights into the perceptions of entrepreneurship development in Gilgit-Baltistan, particularly concerning the influence of natural resources and SEZs. It fills a gap in the research by offering valuable implications for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to promote sustainable economic development in the region.

Impact of corporate social responsibility on employee loyalty: Mediating role of person-organization fit and employee trust.

The study explores the impact of employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in improving employee loyalty by examining the direct and indirect role of person-organization fit and employee trust. A convenient sampling technique was employed to collect the data sample. A total of 338 questionnaires were collected at three different China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Pakistan. The SmartPLS-3 was used to test the study hypotheses. The results revealed that CSR positively and significantly influenced employee loyalty. The findings indicated a partial mediating impact of P-O fit and employee trust in the relationship between CSR and employee loyalty. Discussions, implications, limitations, and future research direction are also given.

REVISITING THE PAKISTAN’S FOREIGN POLICY WITH SHIFT IN ECONOMIC AND TRADING INTERESTS: A GEOPOLITICAL SCENARIO

Pakistan, a country in the South Asian region, is located at the pivot of global trading routes. However, it has remained a security state with threat perception constantly driving its foreign policy. Multiple causes can be associated with the security-driven course of foreign policy and numerous consequences can be derived from such a course of foreign policy. The main aim of this explanatory study is to revisit the foreign policy of Pakistan to shift its economic and trade interests from security state to welfare state. The dynamics of international relations are changing from security-led alliances to economic interdependence. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) provides Pakistan with a significant opportunity to realize its geo-economic and geopolitical strength and revenue potential. Through a foreign policy driven by economics and trade interests to neighboring countries and the regions Pakistan’s not only become a welfare state but also a Great Power. In a nutshell, Pakistan has the potential to become another Germany which evolved from a security state to a welfare state.

Exploring the both-and success paradox in mega construction projects: multi-dimensional assessments of paradoxical leadership, project agility and megaproject success

PurposeOrganizations are full of contradictions and leadership dilemmas. Managers often face challenges such as selecting between two contradicting options such that which one is more important can hardly be judged. To manage contradicting dynamics, today’s managers can adopt the paradoxical leadership approach. We build a theoretical model to investigate the influence of paradoxical leadership on multi-dimensional project agility (proactivity, adaptability, and resilience), and multi-dimensional project success (management, investment, and ownership success).Design/methodology/approachDrawing on survey-based data from the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) megaproject (N = 209), we performed covariance-based structural equation modeling to test the conceptual model.FindingsThe findings show that (1) paradoxical leadership has a significant positive impact on megaproject success, (2) paradoxical leadership has a significant positive influence on project agility, (3) project agility has a significant positive effect on megaproject success, and (4) project agility has a significant effect that mediates the link between paradoxical leadership and megaproject success. This research provides a theoretical and practical comprehension of paradoxical leadership with a new perspective on megaprojects.Originality/valueThis study provides an extension of the existing studies on paradoxical leadership and identifies the role of contradicting dynamics and their impact on multiple facets of megaproject success. It not only clarifies the relationship between paradoxical leadership and megaproject success, but also identifies the mediating role of project agility that can play an effective role in mobilizing success in megaprojects.

Prospective Analysis of Economic and Social Development Through Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Pakistan a Case in Point

This paper seeks to link the concept of SEZs with social developments in developing countries like Pakistan. In the larger context of human developments, social and general wellbeing of the people is closely linked with the infrastructural enhancement, overall employment of human resource and economic growth in a country. Creation of SEZs is one of the mechanisms to enhance human hands’ engagement. SEZs create those environments which are growth centric in the most comprehensive manner. In the recent history of human developments, it has worked very well in China which raised living standards of the people in record times. The concept of SEZs is based on business facilitation at one place with minimum cost; yet attaining optimum proficiency. The paper is based on secondary data from the official circles of Pakistan and China as well as the literature review. The study follows a qualitative analysis of secondary data as available in publications and official websites. Since Pakistan was already part of Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the idea of establishing CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) prompted to develop SEZs in synchronicity for boosting the economic growth. The study also allows comparative views of SEZs especially in developing countries to draw relevance to those envisaged in Pakistan. In synch with the developments centered around CPEC; in Pakistan, the SEZs have started coming on grounds in a phased process. The study concludes with outcomes like creating similar conditions as those of Chinese to have compatible and comparable success standards in Pakistan.

Research on the Classification of Concrete Sulfate Erosion Types in Tumushuke Area, Xinjiang

Tumushuke, a significant node of “the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor” and “the Silk Road Economic Belt”, is strategically located in the southern region of Xinjiang. Due to the widespread distribution of its salty soils, concrete construction safety is significantly compromised. The construction of this project used sulfate-resistant cement, which was costly to construct. Six groups with varying sulfate immersion concentrations were set up to perform sulfate erosion tests and sulfate freeze–thaw coupling tests, respectively, based on the survey of the distribution of sulfate concentration in the area. The Tumushuke area’s concrete erosion kinds were classified using a microanalysis of the degraded concrete. The findings indicate that the concrete primarily exhibits gypsum-type erosion when the sulfate concentration is greater than 20,000 mg/kg, ettringite–gypsum-type erosion when the sulfate concentration is between 15,000 and 20,000 mg/kg, and ettringite-gypsum-type erosion when the sulfate concentration is less than 15,000 mg/kg. The erosion product, carbon–sulfur silica-calcite, also occurs under sulfate freeze–thaw coupling. In the Tumushuke area, ettringite-type erosion damage is primarily found in low-sulfate areas in the southwest and a small portion of the northeast. In contrast, higher-sulfate areas in the central northward area are primarily affected by ettringite–gypsum and gypsum-type erosion damage. The results of this study can provide a basis for adopting different anti-sulfate erosion measures for engineering construction in different regions.

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor

China and Pakistan celebrated the 10th anniversary of the launch of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2023. Over the past decade, the CPEC has been developed amid controversies and challenges, and has achieved notable successes, especially in large-scale infrastructure construction, which has laid the foundation for Pakistan’s economic development in the long term. However, the ever-changing domestic and international environment has not alleviated the challenges and risks facing the future development of the CPEC. Domestic instability in Pakistan, as well as intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China, could affect the future of the CPEC.