Karachi ¨C Of foreigners who fall victim to terrorism in Pakistan, Chinese people are the most represented group.
Consecutive attacks have left China with a Hobson¡¯s choice. Either roll back the $62-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), one of the key arteries of Beijing¡¯s Belt and Road initiative (BRI), and quit Pakistan, or join Islamabad in its war on Islamists and separatists.
Over the past decade, China has directly invested $25.4 billion in various transport, energy and infrastructure projects related to CPEC in Pakistan. Since 2015, 28 projects worth $18.8 billion have been completed and other projects worth $34 billion are under different phases of planning or execution. It is estimated that Pakistan¡¯s external debt has increased to $100 billion, with more than $30 billion owed to China.
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