China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
CPEC is a flagship infrastructure and economic development corridor linking Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan province with Kashgar in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is the most prominent component of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and represents the largest single foreign investment in Pakistan's history.
- Announced in 2013 during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Pakistan; formally launched in 2015 during President Xi Jinping's visit with an initial investment pledge of $46 billion.
- By 2022, cumulative Chinese investment in Pakistan under CPEC had risen to approximately $65 billion.
- CPEC encompasses road and rail networks, energy projects (power plants — coal, hydro, solar, wind), Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and Gwadar Port development.
- China receives a 40-year operating lease for Gwadar Port under the China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC).
- CPEC reduces the overland distance for Chinese goods to the Arabian Sea from approximately 12,000 km (via Malacca Strait route) to about 2,395 km, saving China an estimated $2 billion per year.
- CPEC Phase I (2015-2020): Energy and infrastructure focus. CPEC Phase II (ongoing): Agriculture, industry, SEZs, and social development.
● Tracked since March 26, 2026 · last seen May 26, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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