CPEC: the counter-narratives

The 46 billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, an integral component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been subject to a considerable degree of analysis within Pakistan. Even as the official narrative exalts it to the point of reverence, as the prized pivot of the colossal project, with the potential of being the harbinger of the ‘defining moment’ for Pakistan in the region particularly with regard to India, in contrast, there exists a significant cluster of critics who continue to consistently articulate concerns pertaining to feasibility, transparency and sovereignty. The official retort to the expressions of dissent is  best summarised in the statement of  Nadeem Javed, Chief Economist, Planning Commission of Pakistan “….CPEC enjoys the support and backing of all political parties and segments of the establishment and that its popularity among the public will grow when gains start touching their lives.” The Chinese then again, refer to it as “a corridor of prosperity, long-lasting peace and inclusive development.” Economics, development and prosperity emerge as the catchphrases of the official narrative both in China and Pakistan.

The thrust of the economic corridor according to the master plan, which was revealed in the Pakistani Daily Dawn, appears to be on “agriculture, large surveillance system for cities and visa-free entry for Chinese nationals.” The purported use of vast agricultural expanses as “demonstration projects” by Chinese enterprises, an exhaustive network of  “monitoring and surveillance” across cities, thoroughfares and marketplaces, the construction of a “national fibre-optic backbone for internet traffic,” as well as  “terrestrial distribution of broadcast TV” with the intent of collaborating with the Chinese media in the “dissemination of Chinese culture” has evoked a sense of disquiet among sections within Pakistan regarding the extensive nature of the Chinese penetration both economic and societal. It has harboured misgivings about the supposed plan for the “redevelopment of Pakistan” with Senator Tahir Mashhadi, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development, terming the initiative as “another East India Company in the offing.” While this could be dismissed as “fear-mongering rhetoric,” there does seem to be an element of genuine concern regarding the possibility of an “undermining of Pakistan’s sovereignty” considering the intensive penetration that it entails, which in turn is a prerequisite keeping in mind the scale of the project.

There is scepticism among both economists and political analysts in Pakistan who advice a degree of caution.  However, ostensibly, CPEC appears to be a plan that would comprehensively transform Pakistan’s economy: creating and modernising existing infrastructure that would facilitate connectivity and enhance productivity; providing an estimated 700,000 domestic jobs, approximately 10,000 MW in hydro energy and an expected 1.1 percent rise in GDP by 2018 itself. The bilateral relationship between China and Pakistan has continued to intensify in recent times and if the CPEC initiative does become a reality despite scepticisms concerning its rationale and achievability; the manifold serious challenges and flaws inherent in the scheme and the various forms of resistance that it faces and is likely to face in the foreseeable future within Pakistan and the greater neighbourhood, it could indeed, at least in conjecture help Pakistan contend with some of its key “developmental issues.”

Priya Singh