Correct Answer:
C. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
The correct answer is China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. CPEC is the flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive network of infrastructure and energy development projects connecting western China to Pakistan's Gwadar Port.
Understanding CPEC: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
- Full Form and Meaning: CPEC stands for China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor. It is an economic cooperation framework focused on energy, transport infrastructure, special economic zones, and industrial cooperation between the two nations.
- Scale and Investment: The project was launched in 2015 with an initial pledge of $46 billion, later expanding to over $60 billion. It includes highways, railways, power plants (coal, solar, wind, hydro), and the development of Gwadar deep‑sea port in Balochistan.
- Strategic Significance: CPEC links China's Xinjiang region directly to the Arabian Sea, drastically reducing China's trade route distances. For Pakistan, it promises energy security, job creation, and a modernised transport network.
- Incorrect Acronyms: China-Pakistan Economic Core and China-Pakistan Eco Corridor are incorrect expansions. China-Punjab Economic Corridor is entirely wrong, as the corridor spans the entire length of Pakistan, not just Punjab.
Thus, CPEC stands for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.