Multifaceted Aspects of Economic Corridors in the Context of Regional Security: The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor as a Stabilising and Destabilising Factor

Abstract

This article investigates the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which involves a whole package of multiple cooperative initiatives aimed to accelerate connectivity via land routes and boost Sino-Pakistani collaboration. While channelling Chinese power and interests, this corridor, being a key part of the Belt and Road Initiative, may significantly affect the security landscape in conflict-prone South Asia, and the economic, political and social dynamics within Pakistan. Being a fragile state with multiple domestic challenges and asymmetric position vis-à-vis China, Pakistan is a valuable source for regional power game and China’s aspiration analysis. The comprehensive evaluation of economic corridors’ multidimensional impact on volatile regions with poor socio-economic background, contested political power and high-security risk fills a much-needed gap in contemporary security studies. We contend that CPEC may bring stabilising and destabilising results; yet, if certain conditions are not met, over the long term, the latter are likely to outweigh the former due to the various aspects of internal, bilateral and regional character. To evaluate the corridor’s multifaceted implications, firstly, we conceptualise CPEC within the selected international relations paradigms, and secondly, we empirically refer to our assumptions.