HARNESSING REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY POTENTIAL THROUGH BRI: A CASE STUDY ON CHINA, PAKISTAN AND TURKIYE CONNECTIVITY

Abstract

Connectivity and integration at the regional level are the transformative realities of the twenty-first century. Post Covid-19 pandemic world is grappling with economic crises compounded by conflicts. During these challenging times, the conventional wisdom continues to adjust to national priorities that are shaping against globalism with global firms becoming locally territorialized with multidimensional domino effects. The wave of globalization triggered the tendency of states towards regionalism. The governments are exploring solutions to avoid long-term damage to the economy and facilitate the recovery that can address challenges to livelihoods, food and energy crisis, poverty alleviation, provision of global public goods employment creation, and the global order. As a region in transition, confronted by a number of economic, political and social challenges we need to find solutions to these issues and a path of stability for the region. Regional economic integration is based on the foundation of connectivity. The countries of Asia and the Pacific Rim are giving special importance to this. This situation can change with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and CPEC which are beacons of hope for a prosperous region and beyond. Since its inception, Pakistan, China and Turkiye are key partners in the BRI and enjoy exceptionally fraternal ties. However, the connectivity aspects still need to be enhanced.  The strategic locations of Pakistan and Turkiye, economic and demographic potential, geopolitical evolutions around the key regions of Asia and geo-economic transformation offer distinctive opportunities for a multilateral underpinning for three countries.