‘Fulfil your prior commitments with us’: China warns Pakistan on delayed CPEC delivery

China tightens pressure on CPEC delivery

China has issued an unusually blunt warning to Pakistan to honour long-overdue commitments under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), signalling deep frustration over persistent security failures, chronic infrastructure delays and the absence of meaningful returns even 11 years into the flagship Belt and Road Initiative project.

News18 quoted sources as saying that at the seventh round of the Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing, Chinese officials expressed dissatisfaction over Pakistan’s slow delivery and persistent operational failures across key CPEC projects, particularly in Balochistan. Senior diplomatic sources said Beijing made it clear that CPEC’s flagship assets — including Gwadar Port, Gwadar Airport and critical road connectivity — remain largely non-functional despite years of investment.

Chinese officials pointed out that the M-8 motorway connecting Gwadar to Sukkur is still incomplete, while unsafe and inadequate road infrastructure across Balochistan remains a serious liability. Gwadar Sea Port, touted as the backbone of CPEC, has yet to reach full operational status, and the newly built Gwadar International Airport has failed to generate any significant passenger or cargo traffic. Beijing conveyed that these failures strike at the very economic rationale of the corridor.

Security dominated the discussions, with Beijing increasingly alarmed by the surge in militant attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Repeated assaults on Chinese nationals and projects have heightened concerns, with Chinese officials stressing that Pakistan’s inability to provide a secure operating environment has stalled implementation and delayed returns on Chinese investments. A joint security framework for CPEC projects and Chinese citizens was discussed at length, with Pakistan presenting a formal plan. China also offered security assistance and said a high-level Chinese delegation would soon travel to Pakistan to assess conditions on the ground.

In a clear tightening of its approach, China also tied future funding and grants to strict compliance and transparency. Beijing made it explicit that further financial assistance would depend on Pakistan first completing previously promised CPEC projects and ensuring transparent bidding for new ones. Chinese officials sought specific explanations regarding Pakistan’s planned “mines and minerals” contracts, underscoring the need for fair and open bidding — remarks diplomatic sources interpreted as unease over perceived preferential treatment for the United States.

China also pressed Pakistan to stabilise relations and normalise trade with Afghanistan, arguing that continued regional instability threatens CPEC’s long-term viability. Beijing offered its “good offices” to mediate between Islamabad and Kabul to resolve security and transit issues affecting western CPEC routes.

Pakistan’s delegation, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, offered assurances on security, infrastructure delivery and transparency. Dar briefed Chinese officials on Pakistan’s financial reforms, including a proposed “one-window” facilitation system intended to ease operations for Chinese investors.

Despite the sharp tone, both sides publicly reaffirmed their commitment to the All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership. China reiterated its willingness to meet its own responsibilities but stressed that Pakistan “has to deliver its best.” The two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation across bilateral and multilateral platforms and to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties, with the foreign ministers jointly unveiling a commemorative logo for year-long celebrations.