Pakistan and China have launched a direct rail and sea freight service, with the first cargo train departing from Yunnan, an inland province in south-west China. Reportedly, a cargo train loaded with 500 tonnes of commodities, left Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, for Karachi on Thursday. The train is destined for China’s port city of Guangzhou, where the cargo will be loaded on ships and then transported to Karachi. The new rail, sea freight will significantly cut logistics cost and herald a new era of trade development in both countries. This service is a part of China’s Maritime Silk Road initiative, which also entails $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC). An excellent start of trade and economic activity between Pakistan and China, the road and rail projects would not only boost intra-trade but also raise the image of Pakistan as a stable country.
Despite the positive prospects of development for both states, security fears still linger over the CPEC in some increasingly restive areas in Balochistan. The significance of Gwadar as an alternative port linked with China (and later Central Asia) warrants undoubted attention. But linking Gwadar to the rest of Pakistan and on to the western Chinese city of Kashgar, 3,000 kilometres away, would involve major infrastructural work in Balochistan. The project is a part of Beijing’s plan to expand its trade footprint across South Asia and avail an easier access to the Middle East, South East Asia and Europe.
