Global China and Pakistan’s federal politics: 10 years of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor

The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is one of the most prominent projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. While its geopolitical and financial implications have received much attention, CPEC’s mediation through the structures of Pakistan’s federal system has remained comparatively understudied. To fill this gap, this article analyses CPEC’s evolution between 2013 and 2023, revealing both the continuing centralisation of the management of CPEC and the inequitable distribution of projects that have characterised its implementation. The analysis also addresses whether domestic political structures or external pressures explain this inequity. The article draws on a triangulation of official CPEC data collated since 2018, meeting minutes of key decision-making bodies, budgetary analysis and semi-structured interviews. In doing so, this article contributes to understanding global China’s encounters with local dynamics.