The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and China’s ‘developmental peace’ in Pakistan

When the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was launched in 2015, it was envisaged as a game changer for Pakistan’s economic development and regional connectivity. It was also seen as a litmus test for China’s broader Belt and Road initiative (BRI), through which China is exporting its model of ‘developmental peace’. A decade on, the promise of delivering development and peace to the Pakistani population seems bleak. The Pakistani economy remains weak, poverty persists, insecur­ity has increased and China has become reluctant to grant new loans. In this policy brief, we ask whether the developmental peace model is living up to expectations, identify key factors that have shaped CPEC’s impacts, and suggest actions to strengthen the outcomes of CPEC Phase 2.