GEOPOLITICAL AND LOGISTICAL DIMENSIONS OF THE CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

The article attempts to analyze the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) from the perspective of the geopolitical and logistical dimensions of its implementation. The goal of the article is to study the impact of CPEC on China’s foreign policy initiatives, Beijing’s bilateral relations with Islamabad, and the level of influence of the project’s geopolitical and logistical components on the regional and global levels of international relations. The research methodology is based on the principles of scientificity, systematicity, and objectivity with an appeal to the method of geopolitical analysis, using systematic analysis, and general scientific methods. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the analysis of the current state of CPEC, the main Sino-Pakistani infrastructure projects being implemented in the second phase of the project from 2022, and its overall impact on the geopolitical situation in the region and taking into account China’s global strategy. Conclusions. The implementation of CPEC within the framework of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative strengthens cooperation between China and Pakistan. At the same time, the implementation of a number of infrastructure projects have a positive impact on both states. Firstly, they help develop and stabilize the relevant areas involved in the corridor (for instance, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, and the provinces of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan). Secondly, there is a diversification of the logistics network of China’s trade routes in a global context with access to Asian and European markets. It is revealed that the CPEC is geopolitically involved in the regional rivalry between China and India, in particular through the ports of Gwadar and Chabahar, which serve as important transport hubs. The authors conclude that the successful implementation of the corridor will contribute to Pakistan’s economic growth, although it raises the question of its increasing dependence on Beijing. In turn, China’s positions in the economic dimension are strengthened that raised a perspective of the change in the balance of power in regional level.