A recent China Review News commentary addressed the issue of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (PCEC). It stated,"The economic corridor that China and Pakistan plan to build between them offers the first strategic sea port in China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ plan. … China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ plan and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will rekindle the thousand-year old dream of uniting Europe and Asia together."
The commentary said that the PCEC will connect China’s Kashgar to Pakistan’s Gwadar and will include roads, railways, and energy and commercial trade routes. Pakistan will serve as a bridge to connect China to Central and South Asia, forming an economic zone population of 3 billion people.
"This corridor allows China to connect directly to the Arab Sea, giving China the shortest path to connect to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East." "The shipping of energy and cargo in and out of China will be shortened by 4,000 miles. It will take only 10 days, instead of 45 days [via the Malacca Strait], for China to ship its goods to the Middle East and Africa."
Pakistan also offers the best channel for China to connect to Islamic countries. It is China’s firmest ally. It is also the only Islamic country with a nuclear capability. Its military cooperation with China can stabilize the relationship between the two countries and reduce the risk of the "One Belt, One Road" zone.
Source: China Review News, May 3, 2015
http://hk.crntt.com/doc/1037/3/6/4/103736425.html