CPEC Funds Halted: More Than What Meets The Eye

China’s decision to temporarily halt the supply of funds with respect to the construction of three roads, part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, is more than what meets the eye, says a report by the Amsterdam-based think-tank and policy research institution, European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS).

The Chinese Government has cited its concern over corruption in the CPEC projects as the reason for the move, however, according to EFSAS “this argumentation is very weak, to say the least, as corruption is not a new phenomenon in Pakistani politics; No Pakistani Prime Minister has ever completed the five-year long Government term as all democratically elected Heads of Government in Pakistan have been dismissed due to charges of corruption in the country’s 70-years existence.”

“China’s decision to stop its funding is a ‘temporary’ measure to reassert Chinese control over CPEC projects until it decides to release new guidelines,” Isabela Favero, a research analyst at EFSAS wrote. Read More…

CPEC, EFSAS, Isabela Favero