China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Politics

Pakistan Muslim League-N's Footnote 1 took power in 2013 after its victory in the 2013 National Assembly general elections. The government, led by the Sharif brothers, was all about the economy: the Sharifs sold their vote bank to dream of a prosperous economy in support of a strong infrastructure network (small, 2015). Not all ambitious projects in the motorways, industrial zones and fixing energy crisis can be financed locally and the Sharif government knows where to look for investment. China, meanwhile, is reviewing its economic policy, which has sustained China's development for more than three decades, to allow South Asia to connect its inland China to ports in the Indian Ocean. Wanted to build integrated infrastructure. Basically, basic development investment has become a prerequisite for maintaining high growth rates in the newly developing provinces of Yunnan and Xinjiang. China wanted cooperation from India and Pakistan. Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang first visited India with his ambitious proposals. However, India found its economic ally in Japan instead. Then it was Pakistan's turn.

However, persuading China to invest in Pakistan will not be an easy task for the Sharif government. In the past, several measures taken by the Chinese government have come to an end due to the unavailability of political power (small, 2015). However, the Pakistani government was determined to make these minorities easier for China. Lee arrived in Pakistan on May 22, 2013, with an ambitious proposal for regional connectivity and a solution to Pakistan's energy crisis. The Pakistani civilian and military leadership greeted Lee with great gestures. From here, things get trickier for Xinjiang-Gwadar connections. China also agreed to help Pakistan end its energy crisis through hydroelectric dams, coal-fired power plants and nuclear power plants. Ideas are being formed quickly: plans were made, meetings were held, and a memorandum of understanding was signed.

However, the journey was not smooth. China will soon have to reconsider its plans in Pakistan after the terrorist attacks targeted either CPEC workers or areas proposed for CPEC projects. Footnote 2 was made with the Chinese government pledging to make the implementation of the corridor smooth and safe. China decided to be cautious, starting with small projects.

Pakistan will soon be central to Beijing's concerns, exhausting all Chinese capabilities in investing in Pakistan. The bombing of Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 28, 2013, for which the Islamist party of Turkestan, Footnote 3, claimed responsibility was a wake-up call for China. The attack was followed by knife and bomb attacks on Kunming and Orumki railway stations, signaling the spread of terrorism from the country's far northwest to its urban centers (small, 2015). If the 2009 riots between the Hun Chinese and Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang were not enough, such incidents shook Beijing to focus more on Pakistan and Afghanistan (Pant, 2012). The stability of these countries was of great concern to China in order to prevent the spread of Islamist extremism in the western region of China (Paint, 2012). Therefore, China is crucial for China's economic interests and its desire to increase its influence in the region. Although it did not change anything for the major economic projects in the pipeline (in fact, Lee's next visit and the final plans near the major projects were to show that they have become even more important to Chinese interests). China began to understand the pressure on the security establishment in Pakistan to crack down on Uighur militants in North Waziristan. (small, 2015) A political battle between the civilian government and the military establishment resulted in an embarrassing delay in reaching an agreement. However, despite these differences, one thing the Pakistani leadership agreed on was the value of Pak-China friendship, which now promises آمد 46 billion in revenue that will transform the Pakistani economy. As pressure from the Chinese government intensified, Raheel Sharif finally complied and launched an operation in North Waziristan. However, the decision to deploy tens of thousands of troops in the region was initiated due to terrorism and other factors related to the security situation in the country (small, 2015).

Although security concerns are a key factor explaining China's interest in Pakistan, China has other reasons to strengthen its ties with Pakistan. Over the past two decades, China has expanded its global presence. To this end, China is playing a more active role in establishing diplomatic relations with other countries. Pakistan is one of the few countries called China Friends (Shambagh, 2013). This friendship is a welcome change for the Pakistani political elite and various state institutions that are facing rapidly deteriorating relations with the United States (small, 2015) and is also emphasizing public support for Pak-China relations in Pakistan. Chandra, 2016) According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center on China in Pakistan, 84% of respondents were positive about China, compared to 16% in the United States. If this survey represents the reality of reality, then Pakistan could be the most pro-China country in the world (Chandra, 2016).

The growing momentum in China-Pakistan friendship since 2010 cannot be clearly articulated by Chinese interests in Pakistan alone. Pakistan also had strong motives behind strengthening its relations with China. The Pakistani military and civilian government recently attacked their longtime friend the US. Had lost and was facing an economic and military vacuum left behind by the US withdrawal.