From Corridors to Code: China’s Digital Statecraft through CPEC

Abstract

This issue brief analyzes the digital dimension of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), arguing that the significance of the corridor lies less in physical connectivity and more in the expansion of energy and technological infrastructure. It examines how projects such as fiber-optic networks, surveillance systems, and satellite cooperation reshape Pakistan’s security practices and economic development. The paper contends that these initiatives embed Pakistan within Chinese technological standards and ecosystems, potentially generating long-term dependencies while advancing China’s strategic interests. In the long term, Pakistan’s embeddedness may complicate its ability to maintain strategic autonomy in an era of intensifying geopolitical competition.

Introduction

What if the core of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) lies not in the grand highways or ports that dominate the headlines, but in power plants and digital technology? These elements, while less visible than CPEC’s megaprojects, reveal how the corridor encompasses far more than just improving connectivity. Indeed, the Long Term Plan for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (2017-2030) reflects this broader vision, setting out goals to build cross-border fiber-optic cables; promote the adoption of Chinese technical standards such as its Digital Terrestrial Multimedia Broadcast (DTMB); expand e-government, border monitoring, and Safe City systems; and strengthen Pakistan’s ICT workforce through training and exchange programs.

These initiatives carry political implications that extend beyond technical modernization. Digital infrastructure and technological standards shape the way states and communities grapple with the digital world, which in turn impacts security and governance systems. In the context of CPEC, this raises questions about how Chinese-built communications networks, surveillance platforms, and satellite systems may influence Pakistan’s security practices and long-term geopolitical strategy in the future.

[Read the full issue brief downloading here].