Context:
Pakistan and China signed six crucial documents to enhance and accelerate cooperation for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
About China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC):
- Launched in2015.
- Bilateral project between Pakistan and China.
- 3000-km long route of infrastructure projects.
- Connects –
- Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang, China) and
- Gwadar Port (Balochistan, Pakistan)
- Aim –To increase Beijing’s global influence through China-funded infrastructure projects.
- Provides China with access to the Middle East and Africa, facilitating its entry into the Indian Ocean.
- Part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
About Belt and Road Initiative:
- Launched in 2013.
- Known within China as the “One Belt One Road”
- Aims – Infrastructure development and economic integration of countries along the route of the historic Silk Road.
- Over 60 countries have joined the Initiative.
- 6 economic corridors
Maritime Silk Road connects coastal China to the Mediterranean via Singapore-Malaysia, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: The Hindu
Previous year question
‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2016 Prelims]
- African Union
- Brazil
- European Union
- China
Practice question
