The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor plans connect China to the Persian Gulf through the quickest route. This huge investment can be transformational for South and Central Asia if Pakistan can improve upon its lackluster performance in FDI absorption and transparent governance.

As China and Pakistan decide to re-route the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to avoid the volatile provinces of Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, a group of Pakistani senators threaten demonstrations at the PRC embassy in Islamabad. The issue highlights problems that undermine China’s desire to forge a secure route to the Gulf.