How realistic is the China–Pakistan–Iran economic corridor?

AuthorBernadette Andreosso-O’Callaghan,Lucía Morales,Daniel Rajmil
Date01 December 2021
Published date01 December 2021
DOI10.1177/20578911211041403
Subject MatterResearch articles
How realistic is the China
PakistanIran economic
corridor?
Daniel Rajmil
Law & Political Sciences, Open University of Catalonia, Spain,
Republic of Ireland
Lucía Morales
School of Accounting and Finance, Technological University
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Bernadette Andreosso-OCallaghan
Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland
Abstract
The economic and political inf‌luence of China in the Asian region is growing amidst global geopol-
itical challenges. Economic corridors such as the new Silk Road have been identif‌ied as enablers of
strategic growth and geo-economic power development in a context of signif‌icant political instabil-
ity. Beijings strategic approach and the importance of Pakistan and Iran to its aspiration to realise
Chinas dream through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are examined in this comparative study.
The rising role of China in the region and its engagement with Iran and Pakistan and the part that
these two countries can play need careful attention. Political and economic joint interests have
brought together these three countries with signif‌icant links to Chinas economic corridor and
energy projections. But the future of the partnership is very fragile as it is characterised by histor-
ical hostilities between Iran and Pakistan that can act as a major impendiment to Chinas ability to
progress. In addition, economic and trade f‌igures show an unbalanced relationship that clearly
favours Chinese interests. The BRI and the Chinese plans for those territories still remain blurr y
as any long-term crisis that characterises fragile and complex international alliances.
Keywords
BRI, China, CPEC, geo-economics, geopolitics, Iran, Pakistan
Corresponding author:
Daniel Rajmil, Law & Political Sciences, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss, 5 / 08860
Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain.
Email: drajmil@uoc.edu
Research article
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
2021, Vol. 6(4) 405420
© The Author(s) 2021
Article reuse guidelines:
sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/20578911211041403
journals.sagepub.com/home/acp
Introduction
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has led to new economic, diplomatic and political dynamics in
the central and Southwest Asian region. Pakistan and Iran have emerged as compelling economic
players in Chinas ambition to progress with its economic corridor. Beijing considers these two
countries as a String of Pearlswhere it can develop its economic and security strategy and pro-
gress as a regional and global economic power. After the consolidation of the BRI plan, this
String of Pearls would enable China to f‌ind a maritime Silk Road along the Indian Ocean
Region (Ashraf, 2017).
In addition, according to Khan (2014), the ChinaPakistanIran triangle can be linked to
Pakistans long-standing rivalry with India and to Irans protracted antagonism towards the
USA. Existing rivalries and conf‌lict axes have acted as signif‌icant forces attracting Pakistan and
Iran closer to Beijing on their quest for economic development and progress.
The nature and future of this relationship are an appealing area of research that offers insights
into regional dynamics and associated challenges for Chinas BRI ambition. This article aims to
provide some critical insights that contribute to understanding the origins of this potential partner-
ship and its feasibility. The triangular economic and political dynamics and how they are unfolding
are crucial areas of study due to their implications for the regions economic and political future.
Interactions between the three states and their inf‌luence on bilateral and multilateral agreements
are considered positive and valuable economic integration indicators.
But some initial areas of concern emerge, which lead us to question the formation of this trian-
gle: i) Is the formation of an economic triangle between these countries a real option? ii) Will China
be able to make real progress with its vision? A fundamental point to be considered is that these
countries are faced with continuous tensions and conf‌licts that undermine their economic and poli-
tical stability. iii) Would it be possible for China to engage both countries in its plans to consolidate
the BRI? The outlined questions show the regions delicate balancing act, and they put forward
Chinas main challenges as it tries to progress with its regional approach in terms of economic
integration.
This research study seeks to address the outlined questions by examining Chinas economic and
political inf‌luence in the region via an exploration of Beijings strategic approach and the import-
ance of Pakistan and Iran on its aspiration to realise its New Silk Road dream. The study offers a
critical assessment of economic corridorsvalue and relevance as enablers of strategic growth and
economic development in a context of signif‌icant instability and conf‌lict (Ogunlana, 2006). Chinas
rising role in the region and its engagement with Iran and Pakistan, and the role these two countries
can play, need careful attention. The Asian region faces signif‌icant changes with important geopol-
itical implications. The Chinese authorities take central stage with their regional policy guided by
geo-economics which has substantial implications for economic development and the balance of
the regions future economic and geopolitical power. Political and economic joint interests have
brought together these countries by developing signif‌icant links to Chinas economic corridor
and energy projections. The Chinese government seeks to address domestic and international pres-
sures derived from its over-reliance on coal as its primary energy resource, in parallel with the sharp
decline in economic growth rates experienced since the 2008 Global Economic and Financial
Crisis. But the partnerships future is fragile as it is characterised by historical hostilities
between Iran and Pakistan, limiting Chinas progress with its economic corridor.
The rest of the article is structured as follows. The f‌irst section introduces the impact of the BRI
initiative within a geopolitics and geo-economics framework and the identif‌ication of research gaps.
406 Asian Journal of Comparative Politics 6(4)

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