India's Mistake:— The port of Gwadar, ironically, was even offered to India when it became independent. [36] Oman originally owned it, and which was given as a gift from a Muslim sultan. [36] Prior to 1947, Oman had owned the port for approximately 200 years, having been given it by the Khan of Kalat in 1783. [36] Between 1863 and 1947, [37] it was administered by the British. [36] India even took charge of the port at one point, directly from Oman. [36] India in not accepting the offer, rode out one of the biggest blunders in it's history, according to journalists within the country. [36] It would have given direct access to Pakistan, and restricted it's maritime freedom; not to mention the vast military applications the port would have had had they accepted the offer. After declining, the Omanians sold it to Pakistan for $3 million dollars [38] on September 8th, 1958. [36] [39] [40] The initial offer to India has no historical record, but it is believed that it was offered verbally. [36] It is unknown precisely why India did not decide to pursue it, [36] given the straits of Hormuz are right next to it, where 20% of the worlds crude oil passes through, [41] making it one of the most important strategic locations in the world. [n. 7] Gwadar worries India so much now that Indian "navy veterans...sense concern...[i]f Pakistan and China were to actually operationalize Gwadar Port within the timeline, it will not only bring massive economic benefits to Pakistan, it will become the primary hub of oil trade...the Indian armed forces consider it as a strong lever of blockade". [42]

Indian Equivalent:— The Indians have tried to rival China's investment in Pakistan, albeit on a much, much more smaller scale. Prime minister Modi announced a $500 million dollar investment for the port of Chabahar, close to the border of Pakistan, in Iran. [29] This port is hoped to open a route into Afghanistan without having to go through Pakistani territory. [29] India wants to use this route as a way of circumventing it's enemies, whilst at the same time expanding the Indian export economy into Central Asia. [29] Indian ambitions also hope to transport gas and oil mined from the Central Asian republics to itself. [29] Perhaps more significantly, it would make it far easier for the Hindu country to also step-up it's terror operations in Balochistan and liberated Kashmir as per it's terrorism policy. [30] [31] [32] [33] However, how serious the Indians are in financing the port is not certain. The country has previously reneged on agreements with Iran in the past. One Persian newspaper was quick to point this out, stressing "[w]e should raise our complaints...and ask them [India] to be more honest in their trade with Iran, and to fulfil their obligations more seriously" . [29] Such turn-arounds have included the fact that India supported the (hypocritical) American-lead resolution condemning Tehran's nuclear programme in 2009, [29] and also participated in sanctioning it [34] by reducing it's oil imports from the country. [29] Analysts have also cast doubt as to whether the project can be effective given India's unstable nature, and Iran's own interests. [35]

Combating Threats:— The Pakistani government has even set up a force to combat any forms of sabotage or anti-CPEC activity from both foreign and domestic sources. [23] The announcement was made on December 27th, 2016 at Peking University, where it was also announced that $30 billion dollars worth of projects were also implemented. [23] This special force is called the Special Security Division (SSD), and consists of over 17,000 armed personnel. [24] This new force has been allocated an annual budget of over Rs. 22.6 billion rupees, and currently protects over 8,800 Chinese workers. [25] However, according to other sources, the SSD consists of 15,000 men (9,000 army personnel and 6,000 paramilitary troops) with set up fees amounting to a total of Rs. 5 billion rupees. [26] Any form of conflict has also been alleviated within the country, particularly with the Balochistan province, who's worries have always been that Punjab gets far more attention from the government than itself. However, the Pakistani government and China have allocated the energy projects as fairly as possible. Both Balochistan (excluding Gwadar) and Punjab receive an allocation of approximately $7 billion dollars each, with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan receiving over $11 billion dollars each. [1] Balochistan has always been a concern for Pakistan, as Indian terrorism is rife in the region, with it also being the largest (800,000 km 2 ) and most impoverished state of the country. [27] It is also the least populated region. [28]

India:— The Indian government views CPEC as a threat, despite it's media having been won over. [17] The Pakistan military offered to extend an "olive branch" to India, but it has never responded. [18] [19] One of the largest English language daily newspapers in India, "The Hindu" , stated that "[w]hile there can be little expectation of any room for India in CPEC at present, there is space for India to step back and see where China and Pakistan want to go with it" . [17] The Modi government probably doesn't want to join it because it passes through liberated Kashmir, which India, rather humourously, calls "Pakistan occupied" (Modi also views Muslims with disdain, contempt and has even participated in terrorism and genocide against them in his home state of Gujurat). The Indian website, "The Economic Times, India" stated that Indian analysts had always seen a future Pakistan either as India's Canada or India's Mexico, but that CPEC had changed this, and forces India to rethink it's policy on Pakistan; "[i]ndeed, CPEC is rewriting the economic geography and regional integrity of the subcontinent in a manner that will require more than a tactical, episodic response" . [20] Other Indian media reports have said that India joining CPEC would threaten and "hurt" it's "sovereignty" . [21] The way India deals with things has lead China to sometimes come out and criticise it openly (it has previously called India a "spoilt" child for getting "carried away by the lofty crown of being 'the biggest democracy in the world'" ). [22]

Other Projects:— A grand total of 21 energy projects, worth $33.8 billion dollars will form the majority of CPEC, followed by transport infrastructure ($9.78 billion dollars), and the Gwadar Port itself will be the focus of eight Chinese investment projects, worth $793 million dollars. [13] The four infrastructure projects will cover a total distance of 2,246 km (1,395.6 miles), and will cost in total $7.84 billion dollars. [14] Broken down by each construction plan, it consists of the KKH Phase II section which will cover a road from Thakot to Havelian (118 km), costing $1.31 billion dollars and the Peshawar—Karachi Motorway covering roads between Multan and Sukkur Section (392 km), costing $2.85 billion dollars. [14] The last two are rail projects which will consist of expanding and reconstructing the aged ML-1 line, which covers a distance of 1,736 km and which will cost $3.65 billion dollars and the Havelian Dry Port which will cost $40 million dollars (and cover an unknown amount of distance). [14] There's also a $44 million dollar fibre optic cable line, that will stretch a total distance of 820 km (2.2% of it will be laid in the capital Islamabad, 56.7% in Gilgit-Baltistan, 35.1% in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 5.8% in the Punjab) from Khunjrab to Rawalpindi (with an additional project dubbed Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcast (or DTMB ), costing an unknown amount of money and covering an unknown amount of distance). [15] Outside of CPEC, there are also other massive infrastructure projects being built. [16]

Energy Projects:— The Gaddani Power Park (1,320 MW) is the most expensive project costing $3.96 billion dollars (with additional costs of $1.2 billion dollars). [12] The others are the Kohala Hydel (1,100 MW; $2.4 billion dollars), the Engro Thar (1,320 MW; $2.0 billion dollars), the SSRL (1,320 MW; $2.0 billion dollars), PQEC (1,320 MW; $1.98 billion dollars), Suki Kinari Hydro (870 MW; $1.80 billion dollars), Sahiwal (1,320 MW; $1.6 billion dollars), the Rahimyar Khan (1,320 MW; $1.6 billion dollars), Muzaffargarh (1,320 MW; $1.6 billion dollars), Karot Hydro (720 MW; $1.42 billion dollars), Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (1,000 MW; $1.35 billion dollars), the Thar Mine Mouth Oracle (1,320 MW; $1.3 billion dollars), HUBCO Coal Power Plant I (660 MW; $0.97 billion dollars), HUBCO Coal Power Plant II (660 MW; $0.97 billion dollars), Gwadar Coal/LNG/Oil (300 MW; $0.60 billion dollars), Gas Power (525 MW; $0.55 billion dollars), UEP Wind Farm (100 MW; $0.25 billion dollars), Pakistan Wind Farm II (100 MW; $0.15 billion dollars), Sachal Wind Farm (50 MW; $0.134 billion dollars), and the Dawood Wind Farm (50 MW; $0.125 billion dollars). [12] Additionally, several transmission lines for transporting electricity are also in active construction, which are the Matiari—Lahore ($1.5 billion dollars) and the Matiari—Faisalabad ($1.5 billion dollars). [12] Projects which have an unknown generation capacity are the SSRL Thar Coal Plant Block I ($1.3 billion dollars) and the the Surface Mine Thar Coal Plant ($1.47 billion dollars). [12]

Importance:— The advantages for China are immensely significant for it's geopolitical aims. The economy of China relies heavily on the straits of Malacca for 80% of it's energy needs, which covers a distance of 16,000 km with cargo taking two to three months to arrive at Shanghai. [1] Such a choke point has threatened China ever since the US initiated their "pivot to Asia" . [7] [n. 3] China likely feels threatened by the US (and also by extension India), which are attempting to contain [n. 4] it's influence. [8] Oil taken through the CPEC corridor will cut the road journey from 12,000 km to only 2,395 km, "act[ing] as a bridge for the new Maritime Silk Route" . [1] Similarly the economic benefits to Pakistan will give them increasingly optimised access to Chinese markets and the central Asian states. Additionally 700,000 jobs will be created between 2015 and 2030, [1] with CPEC also expected to add 2.5% to the Pakistani economy every year [1] (which currently stands at a non-CPEC level of some 4%). [9] Additionally China's concentration on energy projects will feed the voracious Pakistani appetite for energy, which the nation has regularly been starved of (a problem it's ally the US has never adequately helped with despite Pakistan also losing more than 80,000 people for it's so-called "war on terror" , [10] [n. 5] it having cost the economy more than $118.3 billion dollars). [11] Approximately 10,400 MW of energy projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2020 (energy shortages currently amount to a shortfall of 4,500 MW—6,000 MW). [1] [n. 6]

Introduction:— The China—Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an economic investment plan between China and Pakistan which originally involved investments totalling $46 billion dollars, [2] [3] but which as of 2017, amounts to a total of $54 billion dollars. [2] [4] In Pakistani currency this translates to over Rs. 5.7 trillion Rupees. [4] Chinese president Xi Xinping announced the deal on April 20th, 2015, [2] when he visited Pakistan to cement the agreement, calling the relationship between the two an "Iron Brotherhood" . [2] [n. 1] The significance was not lost on Pakistan, the nation launched eight JF-17's which were used to protect the Chinese plane carrying him as he entered Pakistani airspace. [2] It represented a significant moment for Pakistan, as US influence over the country virtually turned to dust overnight. Pakistan also reciprocated in kind by signing a $4 billion—$5 billion dollar [5] deal of 8 Yuan-Class S20 nuclear [n. 2] armed submarines. [6] The initial announcement was said to have covered 1,800 miles; [2] from the tip of Pakistan to the southern, outermost gates of the Gwader Port. The opportunity represents significant inroads for Pakistan and China, in that Pakistan gains a lot of foreign investment (larger than the combined foreign direct investment made in the country between 2008 and 2015), and perhaps more tantamount, access to the lucrative markets of the Middle-east for China. [2] It dwarfed the $5 billion dollar US-deal from 2010. [2] Total investment is expected to exceed $75 billion dollars up to 2020. [1]

[1] The 1,800 mile CPEC roadmap from the Pakistani government.

Introduction:— The China—Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an economic investment plan between China and Pakistan which originally involved investments totalling $46 billion dollars,[2][3] but which as of 2017, amounts to a total of $54 billion dollars.[2][4] In Pakistani currency this translates to over Rs. 5.7 trillion Rupees.[4] Chinese president Xi Xinping announced the deal on April 20th, 2015,[2] when he visited Pakistan to cement the agreement, calling the relationship between the two an "Iron Brotherhood".[2][n. 8] The significance was not lost on Pakistan, the nation launched eight JF-17's which were used to protect the Chinese plane carrying him as he entered Pakistani airspace.[2] It represented a significant moment for Pakistan, as US influence over the country virtually turned to dust overnight. Pakistan also reciprocated in kind by signing a $4 billion—$5 billion dollar[5] deal of 8 Yuan-Class S20 nuclear[n. 9] armed submarines.[6] The initial announcement was said to have covered 1,800 miles;[2] from the tip of Pakistan to the southern, outermost gates of the Gwader Port. The opportunity represents significant inroads for Pakistan and China, in that Pakistan gains a lot of foreign investment (larger than the combined foreign direct investment made in the country between 2008 and 2015), and perhaps more tantamount, access to the lucrative markets of the Middle-east for China.[2] It dwarfed the $5 billion dollar US-deal from 2010.[2] Total investment is expected to exceed $75 billion dollars up to 2020.[1]

Country Population CPEC per Capita CPEC Equivalent China 1,376,048,943 $285.83 $393,313,179,675 India 1,311,050,527 $285.83 $374,734,818,926 United States of America 321,773,631 $285.83 $91,971,881,224 Indonesia 257,563,815 $285.83 $73,618,924,357 Pakistan 188,924,874 $285.83 $54,000,000,000 Bangladesh 160,995,642 $285.83 $46,017,046,262 Germany 80,688,545 $285.83 $23,063,037,371 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 79,109,272 $285.83 $22,611,637,086 Country Population CPEC per Capita CPEC Equivalent United Kingdom 64,715,810 $285.83 $18,497,584,069 France 64,395,345 $285.83 $18,405,986,231 Canada 35,939,927 $285.83 $10,272,633,861 Afghanistan 32,526,562 $285.83 $9,296,998,911 Malaysia 30,331,007 $285.83 $8,669,448,036 Nepal 28,513,700 $285.83 $8,150,010,992 Sri Lanka 20,715,010 $285.83 $5,920,927,807 Maldives 363,657 $285.83 $103,943,317

Importance

[1] CPEC will give China direct access to the straits of Hormuz, and Pakistan access to Chinese markets and the central Asian states.

Importance:— The advantages for China are immensely significant for it's geopolitical aims. The economy of China relies heavily on the straits of Malacca for 80% of it's energy needs, which covers a distance of 16,000 km with cargo taking two to three months to arrive at Shanghai.[1] Such a choke point has threatened China ever since the US initiated their "pivot to Asia".[7][n. 10] China likely feels threatened by the US (and also by extension India), which are attempting to contain[n. 11] it's influence.[8] Oil taken through the CPEC corridor will cut the road journey from 12,000 km to only 2,395 km, "act[ing] as a bridge for the new Maritime Silk Route".[1] Similarly the economic benefits to Pakistan will give them increasingly optimised access to Chinese markets and the central Asian states. Additionally 700,000 jobs will be created between 2015 and 2030,[1] with CPEC also expected to add 2.5% to the Pakistani economy every year[1] (which currently stands at a non-CPEC level of some 4%).[9] Additionally China's concentration on energy projects will feed the voracious Pakistani appetite for energy, which the nation has regularly been starved of (a problem it's ally the US has never adequately helped with despite Pakistan also losing more than 80,000 people for it's so-called "war on terror",[10][n. 12] it having cost the economy more than $118.3 billion dollars).[11] Approximately 10,400 MW of energy projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2020 (energy shortages currently amount to a shortfall of 4,500 MW—6,000 MW).[1][n. 13]

A map of the $33.7 billion dollar energy infrastructure project locations.

Energy Projects:— The Gaddani Power Park (1,320 MW) is the most expensive project costing $3.96 billion dollars (with additional costs of $1.2 billion dollars).[12] The others are the Kohala Hydel (1,100 MW; $2.4 billion dollars), the Engro Thar (1,320 MW; $2.0 billion dollars), the SSRL (1,320 MW; $2.0 billion dollars), PQEC (1,320 MW; $1.98 billion dollars), Suki Kinari Hydro (870 MW; $1.80 billion dollars), Sahiwal (1,320 MW; $1.6 billion dollars), the Rahimyar Khan (1,320 MW; $1.6 billion dollars), Muzaffargarh (1,320 MW; $1.6 billion dollars), Karot Hydro (720 MW; $1.42 billion dollars), Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park (1,000 MW; $1.35 billion dollars), the Thar Mine Mouth Oracle (1,320 MW; $1.3 billion dollars), HUBCO Coal Power Plant I (660 MW; $0.97 billion dollars), HUBCO Coal Power Plant II (660 MW; $0.97 billion dollars), Gwadar Coal/LNG/Oil (300 MW; $0.60 billion dollars), Gas Power (525 MW; $0.55 billion dollars), UEP Wind Farm (100 MW; $0.25 billion dollars), Pakistan Wind Farm II (100 MW; $0.15 billion dollars), Sachal Wind Farm (50 MW; $0.134 billion dollars), and the Dawood Wind Farm (50 MW; $0.125 billion dollars).[12] Additionally, several transmission lines for transporting electricity are also in active construction, which are the Matiari—Lahore ($1.5 billion dollars) and the Matiari—Faisalabad ($1.5 billion dollars).[12] Projects which have an unknown generation capacity are the SSRL Thar Coal Plant Block I ($1.3 billion dollars) and the the Surface Mine Thar Coal Plant ($1.47 billion dollars).[12]

An 820 km fibre optic cable line has been approved costing $44 million dollars.

Other Projects:— A grand total of 21 energy projects, worth $33.8 billion dollars will form the majority of CPEC, followed by transport infrastructure ($9.78 billion dollars), and the Gwadar Port itself will be the focus of eight Chinese investment projects, worth $793 million dollars.[13] The four infrastructure projects will cover a total distance of 2,246 km (1,395.6 miles), and will cost in total $7.84 billion dollars.[14] Broken down by each construction plan, it consists of the KKH Phase II section which will cover a road from Thakot to Havelian (118 km), costing $1.31 billion dollars and the Peshawar—Karachi Motorway covering roads between Multan and Sukkur Section (392 km), costing $2.85 billion dollars.[14] The last two are rail projects which will consist of expanding and reconstructing the aged ML-1 line, which covers a distance of 1,736 km and which will cost $3.65 billion dollars and the Havelian Dry Port which will cost $40 million dollars (and cover an unknown amount of distance).[14] There's also a $44 million dollar fibre optic cable line, that will stretch a total distance of 820 km (2.2% of it will be laid in the capital Islamabad, 56.7% in Gilgit-Baltistan, 35.1% in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 5.8% in the Punjab) from Khunjrab to Rawalpindi (with an additional project dubbed Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcast (or DTMB), costing an unknown amount of money and covering an unknown amount of distance).[15] Outside of CPEC, there are also other massive infrastructure projects being built.[16]

India

India probably doesn't want to join CPEC because of the Kashmir issue. Pictured is a Kashmiri stamp.

India:— The Indian government views CPEC as a threat, despite it's media having been won over.[17] The Pakistan military offered to extend an "olive branch" to India, but it has never responded.[18][19] One of the largest English language daily newspapers in India, "The Hindu", stated that "[w]hile there can be little expectation of any room for India in CPEC at present, there is space for India to step back and see where China and Pakistan want to go with it".[17] The Modi government probably doesn't want to join it because it passes through liberated Kashmir, which India, rather humourously, calls "Pakistan occupied" (Modi also views Muslims with disdain, contempt and has even participated in terrorism and genocide against them in his home state of Gujurat). The Indian website, "The Economic Times, India" stated that Indian analysts had always seen a future Pakistan either as India's Canada or India's Mexico, but that CPEC had changed this, and forces India to rethink it's policy on Pakistan; "[i]ndeed, CPEC is rewriting the economic geography and regional integrity of the subcontinent in a manner that will require more than a tactical, episodic response".[20] Other Indian media reports have said that India joining CPEC would threaten and "hurt" it's "sovereignty".[21] The way India deals with things has lead China to sometimes come out and criticise it openly (it has previously called India a "spoilt" child for getting "carried away by the lofty crown of being 'the biggest democracy in the world'").[22]

China and Pakistan require protection from anti-CPEC and separatist movements.

Combating Threats:— The Pakistani government has even set up a force to combat any forms of sabotage or anti-CPEC activity from both foreign and domestic sources.[23] The announcement was made on December 27th, 2016 at Peking University, where it was also announced that $30 billion dollars worth of projects were also implemented.[23] This special force is called the Special Security Division (SSD), and consists of over 17,000 armed personnel.[24] This new force has been allocated an annual budget of over Rs. 22.6 billion rupees, and currently protects over 8,800 Chinese workers.[25] However, according to other sources, the SSD consists of 15,000 men (9,000 army personnel and 6,000 paramilitary troops) with set up fees amounting to a total of Rs. 5 billion rupees.[26] Any form of conflict has also been alleviated within the country, particularly with the Balochistan province, who's worries have always been that Punjab gets far more attention from the government than itself. However, the Pakistani government and China have allocated the energy projects as fairly as possible. Both Balochistan (excluding Gwadar) and Punjab receive an allocation of approximately $7 billion dollars each, with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan receiving over $11 billion dollars each.[1] Balochistan has always been a concern for Pakistan, as Indian terrorism is rife in the region, with it also being the largest (800,000 km2) and most impoverished state of the country.[27] It is also the least populated region.[28]

India wants to circumvent China and Pakistan, rather than work with them.

Indian Equivalent:— The Indians have tried to rival China's investment in Pakistan, albeit on a much, much more smaller scale. Prime minister Modi announced a $500 million dollar investment for the port of Chabahar, close to the border of Pakistan, in Iran.[29] This port is hoped to open a route into Afghanistan without having to go through Pakistani territory.[29] India wants to use this route as a way of circumventing it's enemies, whilst at the same time expanding the Indian export economy into Central Asia.[29] Indian ambitions also hope to transport gas and oil mined from the Central Asian republics to itself.[29] Perhaps more significantly, it would make it far easier for the Hindu country to also step-up it's terror operations in Balochistan and liberated Kashmir as per it's terrorism policy.[30][31][32][33] However, how serious the Indians are in financing the port is not certain. The country has previously reneged on agreements with Iran in the past. One Persian newspaper was quick to point this out, stressing "[w]e should raise our complaints...and ask them [India] to be more honest in their trade with Iran, and to fulfil their obligations more seriously".[29] Such turn-arounds have included the fact that India supported the (hypocritical) American-lead resolution condemning Tehran's nuclear programme in 2009,[29] and also participated in sanctioning it[34] by reducing it's oil imports from the country.[29] Analysts have also cast doubt as to whether the project can be effective given India's unstable nature, and Iran's own interests.[35]

The port rivalry between Pakistan, Iran, China and India.