The Implications of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor for Pakistan–European Union Relations
The Implications of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor for Pakistan–European Union Relations

Summary/Abstract: The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) holds the potential to transform Pakistanalong with its turbulent regional environment. In the short run, the multiple networks ofinfrastructure that the project provides will eventually improve Pakistan–European Union(EU) trade. Moreover, while the CPEC is unlikely to bring an immediate strategic shiftin the bilateral dialogue, which is particularly lacking in political dynamics, its long-runpromises can help to foster such dynamics. The project, if successful, can help Pakistanto establish a peaceful domestic environment and subsequently promote the country’sfresh image to reverse its soft power losses in Europe and beyond. This paper investigatescontemporary Pakistan–EU relations, which have so far attracted little attention frominternational relations scholars. It presents the bilateral dynamics in the context of theCPEC, which is an unprecedented investment by China in Pakistan. The paper concludesby shedding light on the differences between China’s and the EU’s strategies vis-à-visPakistan. Despite the fact that the study focuses on one particular South Asian state, itcan serve as a case study for the comparative analysis of China’s and the EU’s presence inthird countries, especially those that, like Pakistan, have joined the Belt and Road Initiative

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