Abstract:
In 2013, China unveiled to the world its dream to revive the ancient
Silk Road by undertaking massive infrastructure projects and adding
value to ports around the Silk Road.
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The Chinese termed it One Belt
One Road (OBOR) which is known as Yídàiyílù in Chinese. This venture
has two major components: one, overland known as the Silk Road
Economic Belt, while the other, the maritime component, is termed as
the Maritime Silk Road. Once this venture is realised, it will have a
tremendous economic impact on the countries on its roadmap. This
paper focuses on the various facets of the OBOR and then highlights
different turns and twists the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor might
take in the future.
The approach used in this paper is based on a literature study and
an analysis of OBOR’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
challenges for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
OBOR’s ambitious venture comes at the dawn of changing global
power dynamics, a major Chinese policy shift, and the foretold Asian
Century. As progress is underway on OBOR projects, skepticism and
suspicion have been expressed by the US and its allies, including India
and Japan for whom the realisation of China’s dream is a perceived
nightmare because of their past rivalries. Their skepticism and
apprehensions only triggers China’s much needed advancement in
bolstering its naval capabilities and the military capabilities of its allies.
