Belt and road initiative as a catalyst of infrastructure development: Assessment of resident’s perception and attitude towards China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Abstract

The Chinese Government commenced the One Belt One Road (OBOR) project in 2013 for the multidimensional development to restore the historical Silk Road paradigms. The Economic Corridor provides networks and connections based on two geographical territories. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one of them, a chunk of the Silk Road Economic Belt’s economic corridors. CPEC would be an economic game-changer for Pakistan. It will generate businesses, minimize poverty, generate employment opportunities, and improve local communities’ health and education. However, it is more lucrative for the Chinese economy because CPEC is a safe, cheapest, and shortest route for importing energy rather than other routes. The present study investigates the social, infrastructural, and tourism effects of CPEC through the mediation role of rural development and knowledge sharing, including income, employment, business, land-use change variables, and CPEC adoptability for a local community in Pakistan. This study is based on four different regions of Gilgit Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh in Pakistan. The study incorporates the collected data from the respondents living on the CPEC routes via face-to-face interviews from citizens (cities, villages, and towns). Besides, the study applied univariate and Structural Equation Model techniques to draw the results. The study results reveal that CPEC plays a significant role in Pakistan’s socio-economic and rural development. This mega project’s expectations might bring positive changes in infrastructure development, energy sector, and social development projects in Pakistan. The Results also indicated that CPEC would link rural areas to urban areas, which would offer development opportunities for rural regions to achieve sustainable development.

Exploring the China-Pakistan economic corridor project performance during Covid-19 pandemic

“…The CPEC commenced construction in September 2021 and was an essential initiative to improve economic cooperation and connectivity between China and Pakistan. It involved the development of infrastructure, energy endeavors, and other activities to enhance connections and trade between the two nations [ 24 ]. The COVID-19 outbreak severely hindered projects associated with the CPEC.…”

Heterogeneous analysis of free trade agreement between Pakistan and China: a policy guideline for CPEC

“…Moreover, Mahmood et al (2022) analysed the benefit of completion of CPEC for local suppliers of the border regions and stated that this extensive network of infrastructure helps the local trader of Baltistan (Pakistan) and increases their earning from export of cherries, apricot and apples by tremendous saving in cost of transportation. Presently, Balti fruits are being sent to China through air-cargo via Dubai but it would be faster, more fruitful and less expensive if the same volume of export could be sent by road to China via Xinjiang.…”

“…Moreover, Mahmood et al. (2022) analysed the benefit of completion of CPEC for local suppliers of the border regions and stated that this extensive network of infrastructure helps the local trader of Baltistan (Pakistan) and increases their earning from export of cherries, apricot and apples by tremendous saving in cost of transportation.…”

Speech to Text by Using the Sindhi Language

“…Sindhi is one of Pakistan's major languages, spoken by 30-40 million people [10]. Sindhi is a language that is frequently used on the internet.…”