Pakistan's energy pathway under the spotlight

摘要

Pakistan is expanding its electricity generation capability with Chinese financed and built power plants. Chinas role in Pakistan's infrastructure roll-out, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a key part of its Belt and Road Initiative. Part of CPEC's significance to China surrounds the building of transport links from China, through Pakistan to the Port of Gwadar - close to the Persian Gulf. This gives China an alternative trade route that avoids the congested sea lanes around Southeast Asia. In any potential future conflict, these sea routes could easily be cut off, halting fossil fuel imports into China - a strategic issue for the Chinese government that CPEC is intended to partially alleviate.