Opinion | Pakistan Under China’s Feet: The Country Is Eroding Its Tomb

With mounting debt, increasing Chinese control over critical infrastructure, and an economic model that benefits Beijing more than Islamabad, Pakistan must reconsider whether this so-called friendship is truly in its national interest or a slow march toward economic subjugation.

For decades, Pakistan has proudly declared China its “all-weather friend,” a relationship celebrated in speeches, diplomacy, and strategic cooperation. But behind the rhetoric of brotherhood lies an uncomfortable truth—this friendship is anything but equal. With each passing year, Pakistan is sinking deeper into an economic quagmire, shackled by debt, dictated by Chinese interests, and losing its autonomy over key national assets. What was once presented as a partnership of mutual benefit now bears an eerie resemblance to economic colonization. Beijing has not just invested in Pakistan; it has infiltrated its infrastructure, industries, and decision-making corridors, making Islamabad increasingly dependent on its so-called ally. If Pakistan fails to recognize this slow erosion of sovereignty, it risks becoming another cautionary tale in China’s expanding sphere of influence.
When the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was launched in 2015, it was sold to Pakistanis as a game changer. Roads, railways, power plants—everything promised a brighter future, an economic revival that would propel Pakistan into prosperity. But a decade later, the dream has soured. Instead of boosting Pakistan’s economy, CPEC has burdened it with unsustainable debt, giving China control over critical infrastructure while Pakistanis struggle to reap any benefits. Take the Karakoram Highway expansion—it was meant to facilitate trade, but in reality, it primarily strengthens China’s supply routes from Xinjiang to Gwadar. The much-publicized Gwadar Port, rather than becoming an economic gateway for Pakistan, is now effectively a Chinese-controlled zone, leased for 40 years with minimal local benefits. The fishermen of Gwadar, once promised economic upliftment, now protest against restrictions imposed on them in their own waters. The so-called progress is beginning to look like a takeover.
Pakistan’s energy sector tells a similar story of dependency and exploitation. Chinese-financed coal plants, built under opaque agreements, have driven Pakistan deeper into an energy crisis. Capacity payments—fixed amounts Pakistan must pay to power producers regardless of actual electricity usage—are ballooning, straining an already fragile economy. Meanwhile, Chinese firms continue to collect profits while Pakistan drowns in liabilities. The Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) and the East Bay Expressway in Gwadar, built with Chinese loans, serve Beijing’s logistical corridors more than Pakistan’s national interest. The ML-1 Railway Project, a $10 billion initiative, is another ticking time bomb—Pakistan must repay the Chinese loans funding it, whether or not it generates enough revenue. And if repayment fails? The fate of Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port looms large—a strategic asset handed to China on a 99-year lease when Colombo couldn’t meet its debt obligations.
Yet, despite these warning signs, Islamabad continues to march blindly forward, deepening its reliance on China as if there’s no other way. Pakistan already owes China over $30 billion, a debt that grows with each passing year. While Beijing ensures that Pakistan remains financially dependent, the terms of these loans remain a mystery—opaque agreements that leave Islamabad with little bargaining power. The trade imbalance is another harsh reality: Pakistan imports far more from China than it exports, widening its economic vulnerabilities. The promise of economic development has, in truth, become a slow march toward economic servitude.
A true ally invests in shared progress, not control. But China’s growing dominance over Pakistan’s economy, infrastructure, and resources paints a different picture. This is not a partnership—it is a creeping takeover, a quiet but calculated expansion of influence that benefits Beijing at Pakistan’s expense. If Pakistan fails to reassess its dependence, the future looks bleak. It may soon find itself not as China’s strategic partner but as its economic vassal, trapped under the weight of its own miscalculations.
The Writer is a student activist and can be reached at soulofkashmir1@gmail.com