BEIJING, May 12: As global economic headwinds continue to weigh on South Asian economies, Pakistan is stepping onto a steadier growth trajectory – largely supported by the steady advancement of high-quality bilateral cooperation under upgraded frameworks.
At the core of this positive turnaround lies the accelerated implementation of CPEC 2.0, which has emerged as the most reliable anchor for the country’s economic stability and long-term industrial upgrading amid complex regional uncertainties.
This was stated by Prof Cheng Xizhong, Senior Research Fellow at the Charhar Institute, a non-governmental Chinese think-tank on diplomacy and international studies based in Beijing.
He remarked that as of April 2026, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has achieved remarkable tangible economic results. According to the fact sheet released by the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad in late April 2026, which has been verified by Pakistani authoritative media, CPEC has accumulated a total investment of $25.93 billion, directly creating 261,000 stable local jobs for ordinary families and adding 8,000 megawatts of stable power supply to the national grid. This milestone contribution has completely eradicated the chronic power shortage that once severely hindered industrial production, daily livelihoods and urban operations across Pakistan for decades.
Unlike its early phase, which focused solely on infrastructure construction, CPEC 2.0 is fully pivoting toward real economic sectors—including modern industrial supporting projects, high-efficiency agricultural upgrading, rational mineral resource development, and low-carbon green energy layouts. These targeted adjustments have effectively boosted industrial vitality, optimized Pakistan’s domestic economic structure, and laid solid foundations for endogenous economic circulation, he added.
Prof Cheng said that moreover, all biased and groundless “debt trap” accusations have been thoroughly disproven by practical development outcomes. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has officially raised Pakistan’s annual GDP growth forecast to 3.5% for the 2026 fiscal year, providing authoritative recognition of CPEC’s strong driving role. Meanwhile, the maturing Gwadar-Central Asia-Middle East cross-border trade route is taking steady shape, transforming Pakistan into a key regional logistics hub and significantly elevating its overall geopolitical value.