Report

CPEC 2.0 | The Promise and the Peril

by: Sherry Rehman

Date: October 9, 2019

Today, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one of the largest bilateral investment projects underway anywhere in the world. Early harvest projects worth $18.9 billion have already been allocated to Pakistan in its first leg, while the government in Islamabad points to much higher flows in the near-term. As the country navigates change in regional alignments as well as global and economic pressures on its economy, the choices it has seem limited. With an opportunity-pipeline estimated at over $62 billion in investments in infrastructure, energy, communications and industry, CPEC clearly stands for more than just an investment platform. It is not a resource-channel Pakistan can afford to miss.

This report seeks to examine both external and internal challenges facing CPEC in Pakistan. It provides a set of recommendations for the government and policy makers to reach a level of optimisation of the opportunities presented by CPEC investments.