China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Context- Recently, China and Pakistan have held the fourth round of the Unfamiliar Priest level Pakistan-China Vital Exchange Islamabad, Pakistan, where they consented to broaden the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan.

Key Highlights 

• Alongside, the 5th China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue was also held where they agreed to combat terrorism and enhance cooperation in different economic fields.
• In 2021, China proposed construction of the Peshawar-Kabul motorway as an extension of CPEC in Afghanistan.

What is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor?

• CPEC is a 3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects connecting China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in the western province of Balochistan in Pakistan.
• It is a bilateral project between Pakistan and China, intended to promote connectivity across Pakistan with a network of highways, railways, and pipelines accompanied by energy, industrial, and other infrastructure development projects.
• It will pave the way for China to access the Middle East and Africa from Gwadar Port, enabling China to access the Indian Ocean and in return China will support development projects in Pakistan to overcome the latter’s energy crises and stabilizing its faltering economy.
• CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
• The BRI, launched in 2013, aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.

Why does Afghanistan appear to be important for both China and Pakistan?

• Access to Special Minerals: Rare Earth Minerals, which are used to make electronics and military equipment, are abundant (1.4 million tonnes) in Afghanistan. Nonetheless, since the Taliban assumed control over, the nation has been confronting monetary challenges in light of the fact that an unfamiliar guide has been removed.
• Other Resources and Energy: By participating in CPEC, Afghanistan will give Islamabad and Beijing access to Afghanistan’s vast wealth of untapped natural resources, including lithium, gold, copper, and uranium, all of which are essential components for a variety of cutting-edge electronic technologies and high-tech missile guidance systems.

What can be the Ramifications for India on CPEC’s Augmentation to Afghanistan?

• Indian influence in Central Asia is diminished:

• • • India’s investment in Iran’s Chabahar port may be limited as a result of Afghanistan’s participation in CPEC. India expects to extend the port as a door to worthwhile possibilities for trade between India, Iran, and Afghanistan with Focal Asian nations.
    • Pakistan is likewise expecting to sabotage India’s impact in Focal Asia and CPEC could give the ideal stage to this.

• China can take Lead from India in Development Aid:

• • • India has been the largest regional lender to Afghanistan in terms of development aid, investing more than $3 billion in projects like road construction, dam construction, parliament building, rural development, education, infrastructure, and many others.
    • China is expected to take over for India and lead the development of Afghanistan with the expansion of CPEC.

• Security issues:

• • • China might control Afghanistan’s Bagram flying corps base.
    • The Bagram air terminal is the greatest air terminal and actually exceptional as the Americans saved it for their utilization till the end, rather than the Kabul air terminal.

• Putting India’s sovereignty at risk:

• • • The CPEC goes through PoK, which sabotages India’s power. India has cited this as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity on numerous occasions.
    • By stretching out the CPEC to Afghanistan, China and Pakistan are further merging their monetary and vital ties, which India sees as a danger to its security and provincial interests.

• Psychological oppression and Key Worries:

• • • India’s interests may be put in jeopardy if Pakistan gains a strategic advantage in the region as a result of Afghanistan’s participation in the CPEC.
    • As Pakistan seeks to gain control of the region, it may result in an increase in terrorism directed against India.

• Exploitation of Rare Earth Minerals:

• • China wants to take advantage of Afghanistan’s abundance of minerals and highly profitable rare-earth mines by expanding CPEC.
  • Uncommon earth metals, which are key parts for a large group of cutting edge electronic innovations and greetings tech rocket direction frameworks.

Way Forward 

• China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has the potential to shift the regional power balance in China’s favor, much to India’s displeasure. 
• In the event that is not managed as expected, this could change the essential elements of the area and the validity of India’s case over PoK over the long haul.
• By investing in the infrastructure and development of Afghanistan, India should improve its economic and trade ties with the country. This won’t just advance the monetary circumstance in Afghanistan yet in addition help India in countering the impact of CPEC.

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