BRI’s miracle

It was a moment to rejoice as the Belt and Road Initiative has made progress in leaps and bounds. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar rightly summarized it by saying that the connectivity spree is more than just physical infrastructure; and “it is about connecting people, cultures, and civilizations”. With China emerging as the main trading partner of more than 140 countries with trillions of dollars of soft investment in people-centric developmental spheres, it has changed the premise of realpolitik. Beijing has ushered in an era of commonality of interests by virtue of geo-economics. The balance-sheet, spread over a decade, since it was launched in 2013, testifies that it has more than 200 cooperation agreements among 150 countries and 30 international organizations, as well as a cumulative value of trade to the tune of $20 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of more than six percent.

This achievement has netted the new realism of world affairs, and for the first time countries are mulling apolitical cooperation without a stint of militarism. This is perfectly a negation of Cold War politics that bred armament race and polarised the world on ideological lines. That is why Chinese President Xi Jinping proudly pronounced that BRI is “on the right side of history”, and touch-based upon the commitment to common development, shared prosperity and a bright future. The presence of some 25 foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the 10-year celebration moot manifested new alignment in the making, and sent across a strong message that China’s prowess is an indispensable reality.

Pakistan is one of the prime beneficiaries of the rejuvenated Silk Road development, and CPEC has turned tables for it. This is why Kakar noted with pride that Pakistan has completed half of projects worth $25 billion, and hoped that the launch of Gwadar airport and pumping in of over 8,000 MW of new electricity into the grid will bring a turnover of fortune. Likewise, BRI and CPEC have reinvented bilateralism to new heights, and there is no looking back.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2023.

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