China to launch key economic corridor link in Pakistan

China is going to unveil a crucial economic corridor link with Pakistan during a landmark visit by President Xi Jinping to Islamabad.

Xi is reportedly going to launch a series of energy and infrastructure projects worth a total of $46 billion during his two-day state visit to Pakistan that starts on Monday.

The focus of the spending is on building the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which would link Pakistan’s southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea with China’s western Xinjiang region.

Pakistan transferred control over Gwadar to a Chinese public company in 2013.

The CPEC also includes plans to create a road, rail and oil pipeline links which would shorten the distance from China to the Middle East.

China’s expanded investments in Pakistan are expected to outweigh those by the United States. This is being seen as one of its attempts to increase its dominance in Asia and offset US and Indian influence.