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Business Daily: China-Pakistan Mega Investment

21/04/2015

China-Pakistan Mega Investment

BBC World Service - Business Daily, China-Pakistan Mega Investment

A $46 billion investment in road and rail looks huge. But who really profits from it?

China has pledged 46 billion dollars for road and rail-building in Pakistan. The deal looks huge. But who really profits? And what is China's record on similar deals in Africa?

We examine what will be one of the biggest trade deals of the century so far. China has this week pledged $46 billion for road and rail-building in Pakistan. It's a massive investment package that its proponents say could transform this struggling Asian economy into a major trading hub. But who will really benefit from the deal? We hear from the Pakistani social scientist, Ayesha Siddiqa, of St Anthony's College Oxford. For a view of what's in it for Beijing, we talk to the experienced writer and journalist, Elliott Wilson, who's lived and worked in China for many years. He believes the deal is primarily about extending the country's domestic infrastructure programme abroad, and calls it "empire-building". But is that a fair perspective on China's strategy? We also hear from Wang Jiaxin. He is the economic and commercial counsellor of the Chinese embassy in Malawi. He says his country's strategy is all about brotherly collaboration with  fellow developing economies. Unpicking China's real global investment strategy in Business Daily.

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