Gwadar CPEC: Developmental or Detrimental?
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a 62 billion dollar project established to simultaneously enhance the economies of Pakistan and China. The center of this project lies in the port city of Gwadar, Balochistan, a historically underutilized area that could be revitalized with such development. However, the project is not without its drawbacks.
There is no doubt that CPEC may economically revitalize Gwadar. Naturally, utilizing such a port effectively could lead to a sustained period of increased trade and economic progress for the Balochistan province. In fact, this concentrated economic development may even enable the Gwadar port to have spill-over effects that benefit Pakistan as a whole.
On this, the Chinese Ambassador who came to Pakistan said that CPEC “would bring an end to unemployment.” His statement is corroborated by the creation of the Pak-China Technical and Vocational Institute at Gwadar, enabling citizens to be active in the development of the city. These projects are expected to provide 8 to 10 million jobs within the region, giving a lifeline to an impoverished province.
Pakistan may also become much more prominent within the international community. In particular, this project could increase Pakistan’s geopolitical importance within Asia. This is because the Gwadar Port could cut down the shipping length of trade routes from China to the Middle East and Africa, expanding China’s exports exponentially. Pakistan’s central role in this makes them an ever closer ally to China, cementing its position as a formidable force in the international community.
However, this project does pose many threats to the people living in the Gwadar region, particularly with regard to their potential displacement. According to a Reuters article, the current demand for land in Gwadar has caused prices to rise drastically, making it practically unaffordable for locals. This is an obvious downside of the project; if locals cannot even afford to live on their own land, where else will they live?
Furthermore, it is also essential to recognize the economic and political instability of Balochistan in the context of the future of Gwadar. A report by the FCCPI (Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry) stated that “with the present rate of migration from China, Pakistani origin peoples will remain a majority in Balochistan only up to 2048”. This solidifies the fear of Baloch nationalists that the Gwadar CPEC project aims to make the Baloch population a minority. The influx of immigrants would inevitably affect cultural diversity in the region, and the cosmopolitan society that arises from this has been seen in other countries to further instability. Resentment and pushback are likely outcomes if the woes of the Baloch people are ignored.
In essence, this policy of economic growth - even at the expense of others - only hinders our development in the long run. As of now, this country is walking on an unstable tightrope, and soon the government will have to decide whether they want to prioritize its people or its economic progress.
This sort of Pakistani culture, economics and history is something I discuss in my podcast Mixed Chaat (@mixedchaat on Instagram). I am currently working on an episode which will address this issue.