China’s ambitious plan to build an economic corridor across Pakistan may not be what it seems. At a Senate hearing, some Pakistani Senators expressed reservations about the $ 46 bn China Pakistan Economic Corridor
New Delhi (Sputnik) — Pakistani Parliamentarians fear China's stated goal of opening up an economic corridor from its hinterlands to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean via Pakistan may be a red herring.
Pakistani Members of Parliament fear that China may use the proposed corridor from Xinxiang to Gwadar Port to forge links with other countries including India.
The concern were expressed during the Senate Standing Committee meeting to deliberate on Pakistan's planning and development priorities. They fear the CPEC project will help China explore new avenues of trade with India, Central Asia and Europe rather than Pakistan.
Pakistani Parliamentarians also suggested that China will be inclined to use the corridor to expand its trade with India far outstrips the Sino- Pakistan commerce by value.
India has been opposing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor on the grounds that it will cut through Pakistan Administered Kashmir which it claims.
The $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor stretches from Kashgar in China's western Xinjiang province to the port to Gwadar in Pakistan on the Arabian Sea.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.