CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor)

• Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled his country’s biggest overseas investment — the ambitious 3,000 km—long China—Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
• Once the economic corridor is fully developed and Gwadar Port is fully modernised, China is hoping to reduce its dependency on the longer Malacca Straits (between Malaysia and Indonesia) route for its humungous energy need.
• It will shorten the route for China’s energy imports from the Middle East by about 12,000 kms.
• The CPEC will link China’s underdeveloped far—western region to Pakistan’s Gwadar deep—sea port on the Arabian Sea via PoK through a massive and complex network of roads, railways, business zones, energy schemes and pipelines.
• The corridor — expected to be ready in three years and provide about 10,400 MWs of electricity — gives China direct access to the Indian Ocean and beyond.
• From Kashgar, in China to Gwadar in Pakistan.
• There is alarm in India too about the increasing Chinese presence in PoK but Beijing has, as usual, brushed aside India’s concerns and gone ahead with the project to connect Gwadar with Kashgar.
• Formal inauguration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) done.
• By committing to pour billions of dollars into infrastructure development over the years, China appears to have stolen a march over the U.S. and emerged as Pakistan’s unrivalled external partner.
• Calling for India adjusting itself to an emerging multipolar world.