China’s Belt and Road Initiative Prospects of China’s BRI on Pakistan’s National Integration

Abstract

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a comprehensive plan for uplifting socio-economic advancements, and to promote regional integration at the global level. In South Asia, one of the BRI’s plans, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has the potential to exacerbate not only the  regional integration but to augment Pakistan’s national integration. CPEC is considered as a ‘game changer’ by both China and Pakistan due to its geo-political and geo-economic implication. Presently, CPEC has generated misgivings between center and provincial governments of Pakistan. This paper evaluates the impact of CPEC to redress inter-provincial and federal-provincial disparities through compromises and dialogues. To comprehend the association between economic development and national integration, the theory of nation-building provides understanding to identify the main proponents of this debate.