<Tr> <Th> Status </Th> <Td> Partly operational </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> cpec.gov.pk </Td> </Tr> <P> China--Pakistan Economic Corridor (Chinese: 中国 - 巴基斯坦 经济 走廊; Urdu: پاكستان - چین اقتصادی راہداری ‬ ‎; also known by the acronym CPEC) is a collection of infrastructure projects that are currently under construction throughout Pakistan . Originally valued at $46 billion, the value of CPEC projects is now inflated to $62 billion, although expected to rise to an unknown figure . CPEC is intended to open up a new trade route for China via Azad Kashmir, all the way to Gwadar in Arabian sea . CPEC, a new trade route is considered a game changer in the next 20 - 30 years . CPEC also promises rapidly modernize Pakistani infrastructure and would rapidly accelerate its economy, CPEC is supposed to modern transportation networks, and develop some special economic zones . On 13 November 2016, CPEC became partly operational when Chinese cargo was transported overland to Gwadar Port for onward maritime shipment to Africa and West Asia . </P> <P> A vast network of highways and railways are to be built under the aegis of CPEC that will span the length and breadth of Pakistan . Inefficiencies stemming from Pakistan's mostly dilapidated transportation network are estimated by the government to cause a loss of 3.55% of the country's annual GDP . Modern transportation networks built under CPEC will link seaports in Gwadar and Karachi with northern Pakistan, as well as points further north in western China and Central Asia . A 1,100 kilometre long motorway will be built between the cities of Karachi and Lahore as part of CPEC, while the Karakoram Highway between Rawalpindi and the Chinese border will be completely reconstructed and overhauled . The Karachi--Peshawar main railway line will also be upgraded to allow for train travel at up to 160 km per hour by December 2019 . Pakistan's railway network will also be extended to eventually connect to China's Southern Xinjiang Railway in Kashgar . The estimated $11 billion required to modernise transportation networks will be financed by subsidized concessionary loans . </P>

Importance of pak- china economic corridor for pakistan