CPEC is a milestone of Sino-Pakistan all Weather Friendship.

Byline: Zhu Xi-ling and Wang Li

During September 7-9, 2018, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid an official visit to Pakistan, one of the vital partners of Beijing's global strategic links, alongside Russia, North Korea and many strategic friends in Africa. The trip was expected to promote the all-weather friendship between the two powers to a new high level, as Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan made this remark during his meeting with Wang Yi that "China is a very important friend and trustworthy partner in development."

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the "Belt and Road Initiative" in 2013, it has been steadily incorporated into China's global strategy, which involves the key project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Recently, yet, there has been an extensive smear campaign in the western media depicting China uses the CPEC as a debt trap for Pakistan. According to this doctrine, Beijing, through its hefty debts, aims to influence Pakistan and eventually monopolize the country's economy and politics as well.

To the people who believe in the theory of realism or "power politics", it is quite easy for them to accept this story because China, like any other rising power in history, is supposed to take more gains and then to control them exclusively. Hans Morgenthau defined the concept of interest in terms of power and argued that it has the roots in human nature. So there is no exception of China regarding to its relations with Pakistan, no matter how they identify their bilateral ties.

This article simply justifies the fact that in international affairs, influence does not always come at the expense of others and China has taken a longer way to verify its intention and conduct. Yet, in light of the relations between China and Pakistan, the friendship does not just exist between the two governments but also at the grassroots level. As a result, China does wield considerable influence on Pakistan but it is due to the longterm friendship between them and both have perceived each other as good neighbors and strategic partners in the term of "batie", literally means "iron brothers".

Now in a globalization era, it is necessary for all the countries to cooperate with each other in terms of peace, prosperity, openness and inclusiveness. Given this, China, as the largest developing country and a rising great power, needs to align itself with as many states as possible in order to advance their...

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