New Silk Road Initiative and Pak-China Relations
Abstract
[For last couple of decades, voices have been heard for a revival of the ancient Silk Road with an aim of enhanced overland commercial activity. During last few years, the New Silk Road Initiative (NSRI) has extensively been promoted by the US, and its allies. A closer look at NSRI and programs related to it so far makes one believe that what the proponents of NSRI have in their designs will be a network of roads, railways and pipelines – connecting primarily the South and Central Asia. Studying the projects initiated and planned under the NSRI, it becomes clear that majority of them are clearly aimed at enhancing the access of India to CARs, and vice versa. Seen from purely an economic and commercial point of view, NSRI seems to be an excellent initiative that can usher the region into a new era of unprecedented economic, trade and energy cooperation. But peculiar geo-political, geo-economic and geo-strategic significance of the regions of South and Central Asia, and over all objectives of extra regional players and their regional allies, cannot be ignored. The need is to study NSRI in the context of broader US strategy for the region. While regional initiatives should be strengthened, Pakistan and China also need to fortify and enhance their linkages such as improving KKH, building railway and exploring the pipelines that connect the two countries more strongly. – Eds.]
