Abstract

LOPES, João Adriano. Pakistan-China Relations in the Big Context of the “Belt and Road Initiative”: An Analysis of the Political Reverberations on the Pakistan-China-India Relations. PO-RPCP [online]. 2020, vol.13, pp.33-48.  Epub May 18, 2021. ISSN 1647-4090.  https://doi.org/10.33167/2184-2078.rpcp2020.13/pp.33-48.

The “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) is a massive infrastructure investment plan with a long-lasting strategic rational in its essence, namely the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) imply potential political consequences on the geopolitical basis and the regional balance of power, given that China-Pakistan relations converge on a common adversary - India. Nevertheless, China-Pakistan relations converged in the CPEC brings strategic assets for both of them, mostly to China, addressing the fact that this project implies a big shift of strategic Chinese thought, in the sense that it envisions alternative routes for the energy resources transportation, trade and, all together, Chinese influence in the Central Asia and Middle East area, at the same time, bringing development with consequences to these countries. Altogether, CPEC, and BRI in general, makes India very aware and apprehensive of this reality and the power shift of the regional balance of power to China, making the former respond with projects of its own. So, the strategic thought of China materialized by BRI will have serious consequences to the region, mostly to India.

Keywords : BRI; CPEC; China-Pakistan-India relations; strategic thought.

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