China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Geostrategic Development in the Middle East

Abstract

Regional connectivity is one of the aims of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Positive effects of CPEC will be felt throughout the region, including in Iran, Afghanistan, the Central Asian Republic, and beyond. Improved roads, rail, air transportation, more frequent and free exchanges of growth, people-to-people contact, increased understanding through academic, cultural, and regional knowledge, increased trade and business activity, increased production and movement of energy for more efficient business operations, and increased cooperation based on a win-win model will all contribute to a more connected and integrated region. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an important step toward regionalizing the global economy. It created a framework for harmony, growth, and mutual benefit. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor represents future prosperity, stability, and peace in the area. We analyses how CPEC will impact China's economic and geopolitical ties to the Middle Eastern countries, focusing on the Gulf Cooperation Council states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) and Iran. Most of these nations rely heavily on commerce with China and export great amounts of oil and natural gas to China. These countries are also crucial investment partners for China because of the large amounts of money generated from oil exports.