China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the pilot project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It is China’s first government-to-government project with an aim to comprehensively promote the economic development of another country along the Silk Road. This chapter discusses five issues surrounding CPEC that are of great importance to understand the political economy of the BRI. The analyses on the challenges confronted by CPEC in its implementation provide two valuable lessons for future BRI projects. First, BRI projects must be concerned about not only economic growth but also fair distribution and socioeconomic justice. Second, China should not give up its political responsibility in case a host country’s domestic systems and mechanisms cannot realize the goals of fair distribution of economic benefits for BRI projects among different social groups.
