A lecture on “The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is part of the ‘One Belt, One Road (OBOR)’was held at Preston University, Islamabad on October 11, 2017. The referenced lecture was the 8th in the series of Lectures organized under the ‘Faculty Lecture Forum’ of the University. Mr. Kalim Ullah, Lecturer (PhD Research Fellow) Department of International Relations, Preston University was the speaker.

In his brief discourse on the subject, Mr. Kalim Ullah said the ‘One Belt, One Road’ (OBOR) vision was expounded by the Chinese President, Xi Jinping to establish close land and maritime links between 60-plus countries across Asia and Europe. 

He said, we cannot reap full benefit of this game changer project until and unless an  effective strategy for both opportunities and challenges, posed by this mega project, is not evolved. He said his presentation was a snapshot of various challenges this project has gone through, and it will also cover those opportunities which, this gigantic project, will bring for us. 

The project, he said, could foster socio-economic development in Pakistan if it is implemented timely. It could also pave the way for regional economic and trade connectivity and integration between the region of South, Central and East Asia. This, however, would  need a change in the existing relations of India and Pakistan with more focus toward economic and trade relations. The regional economic integration through CPEC could be a harbinger to resolve the political differences through economic cooperation, he emphasized.

Mr. Kalim Ullah said the states of South Asia, Central Asia and East Asia need more regional economic connection to make the 21st century the Asian century, setting aside the perennial political issues to start a new beginning. The CPEC, he said, as a flagship of OBOR can be a catalyst to begin regional trade and economic integration. However, some potential threats could hamper the CPEC to be transformed into a reality, namely the worsening security situation in Afghanistan and its spill over to Pakistan, political wrangling in Pakistan vis-à-vis the selection of routes in various provinces of Pakistan and the trust deficit among certain regional states. In the long run CPEC can foster an economic community in the entire region of Asia and beyond if its vision is materialized in its true sense.

The faculty in attendance appreciated the exhaustive and comprehensive presentation by  Mr. Kalim Ullah on OBOR and CPEC. The Lecture was followed by a Q&A session.