The CPEC from an Indian perspective

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Abstract

The international hype surrounding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its implications for the South Asian security complex* has caught the attention of India’s strategic community. The co untry’s reaction can ultimately change the dynamic of the troubled trilateral relationship – but so far the domestic debate has yet to gain traction. The CPEC – while not an integral part of the major Chinese connectivity project called ‘One Belt One Road’ (OBOR) which is set to become one of the legacies of the current Chinese leadership under President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang – is both a potential hub for two components of the OBOR, the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) and an additional strategic access route to the Indian Ocean in its own right. As China, with the realization of this corridor from Kashgar in Xinjiang Province to Gwadar Port in Baluchistan, seeks to set up an alternative artery for its trade and energy supply.