The Geopolitics of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) and its Security Implications for India

Abstract

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a muti-billion dollar mega project in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) that would connect the city of Kashgar in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang to the port city of Gwadar in Pakistan’s province in Balochistan. A significant milestone for the project was reached when the management of the Gwadar Port was given to Chinese Overseas Port Holdings in 2013. In 2015, President Xi Jinping arrived in Pakistan to cement the development of the CPEC by signing agreements that amounted to USD 46 billion of investments. The CPEC is seen to be of high economic relevance to Pakistan as the investments would be a crucial foundation to its national development. However, this paper intends to go beyond economics and look at CPEC through the lens of geopolitics. When completed, the CPEC would outline China’s long term geopolitical plans in the Indian Ocean which could alter the region’s security environment. However, both China and Pakistan are faced with a series of challenges that hinder the maximization of the project; nevertheless, the CPEC still has serious security implications for India that it must address. Issues that encompass India’s territorial integrity and the naval build-up of China and Pakistan in the Indian Ocean significantly challenge its strategic and geopolitical interests in the region. India is thus opposed to the development of the CPEC in its backyard and must craft a strategy that would serve as a counter-weight in the region.