Myth 1: Pakistan will become too dependent on China

Fact: Terms like new “East India Company” and “colonization” are very common in the Pakistani society. The following facts may serve as some points to ponder upon:

1. China is not extracting resources from Pakistan and accumulating wealth by exporting manufacturing products.
2. CPEC is not an imperial agenda rather a proposal to promote economic and cultural regional integration whereby development projects are joint ventures of the involved countries
3. Pakistan’s current trade deficit with China is $ 6.2 billion and in comparison, India’s trade deficit with China is $46.56 billion and the US trade deficit with China is $ 171 billion. Trade deficit does not translate into debt neither does it pave path for absolute Chinese influence, rather demonstrates that Pakistan needs to build upon its manufacturing industry for an enhanced trade with China to reduce the gap, something which will be achieved by the construction of Special Economic Zones.
4. There are few handful Chinese immigrants residing in Pakistan contributing positively towards Pakistan’s economy till the completion of these projects, in contrast to the Chinese residents living in various other countries of world. The purpose serves to promote cultural connectivity between the two countries.