By Admin 
China is the best friend of Pakistan. However, these days relationships between the two countries do not look normal. This is because Pakistan has decided to seek help from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) instead of China for the advancement of its old railway network. Pakistan has sought a $ 2 billion loan from ADB to improve the Karachi-Rohri railway section. This is the same ML-1 project, which was once considered the biggest and ambitious plan of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
China’s retreat from the project reveals Pakistan’s economic condition concerns. There is a lot of speculation about this, why have they pulled their hands from the Pakistani project in China. However, China has not suddenly decided to withdraw from the project. It is believed that Pakistan’s weak economic situation and problems of repaying debt could have caused trouble for China. China has already invested billions of dollars in Pakistan, where China is facing a serious problem in withdrawing money from Pakistan. Given the pressures of its economy, China is retreating from more risky investments. It is clear that when the financial situation is in danger, then all the weather companions can also retreat.
Importance of raco dik mine and ML-1
Balochistan’s raco, copper and gold mine can prove to be decisive for Pakistan’s economy. It is possible to get a large amount of minerals from the mine, but the old railway line is not so strong that the minerals can be transported on a large scale. For this, it is very important to upgrade the ML-1 railway line to the mine. For this reason, ADB has not only shown interest in the ML-1 project, but has also promised to help $ 410 million for the Reco Dik Khadan.
China, America and ADB
Increasing the role of ADB means that Pakistan no longer wants to depend only on China. According to sources, Pakistan had taken consent from China before this move so that the relationship would not be soured. Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir said, “We will not sacrifice another friend for one friend.” At the same time, America is also showing interest in Pakistan’s Reco Dikk. This indicates that Pakistan is now moving towards multi -faceted foreign policy, which will include China, America and multilateral institution (ADB, IMF). In recent times, relations between Pakistan and America have been seen getting good, as US President Donald Trump has announced to create a Pakistani oil reserve.
CPEC’s future and Pakistan’s strategy
Between 2015-2019, several highways, power plants and ports were built under CPEC, but the development has slowed down since 2022. Chinese power producers have faced the problem of dues. China’s withdrawal from a big project like ML-1 further clarifies this lethargy. Now the arrival of ADB can be a lot of problem for CPEC.
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