Beijing CPEC 2.0 talks reveal gap between pledges and Chinese demands

Pakistan's prime minister and senior officials wrapped up a series of high-level meetings in Beijing this week in efforts to launch the second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, but the talks exposed a key gap between public assurances of progress and private Chinese demands that could reshape the project's scope and financing. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by senior civilian and military leaders, held meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other officials between late August and early September in Beijing, where both sides signed memorandums and a Joint Action Plan for 2024 to 2029 aimed at advancing CPEC 2.0.

Official accounts portrayed the discussions as warm and productive. Pakistan's Press Information Department said the two premiers agreed to continue work on an upgraded CPEC with five new corridors, and attributed to Premier Li a pledge that Beijing would advance Phase 2 amid global instability. In a social media post, Shehbaz called the meeting "most productive" and invited more Chinese investment in agriculture, information technology, mining, textiles and industry. State media coverage noted the exchange of MoUs and the attendance of some...