Gwadar: A case of South–South cooperation

Abstract

Gwadar Port is the southern hub of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which connects China’s northwestern Xinjiang province to the Arabian Sea. A modern, deep-sea port completed in 2007, Gwadar gives China quick access to ports in the Middle East and Africa. By bypassing the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea, it cuts the distance from China to Europe from 45 to 10 days. The $46 billion, 3,000-km economic corridor of roads, railways, and pipelines is expected to boost trade and development not only in Pakistan and China but also along the entire Eurasian Silk Road. As an outlet to the sea, the CPEC promises to open up the vast potential of landlocked Central Asia. This article studies the CPEC as a case of South– South cooperation. It examines Pakistan’s developmental challenges and its balancing of relations with China, the US, and domestic stakeholders. It considers the seeming inconsistency of China’s warm relations with Pakistan while facing Muslim Uighur unrest at home and assesses China’s wider role and purpose in South–South cooperation.