Learning Session on “Understanding the essence of the CPEC under the broader framework of the BRI” for the China Fellowship Program at the University of Sargodha

On 3rd February, 2026, a learning session on “Understanding the essence of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under the broader framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” was conducted under the joint China Fellowship Program at the University of Sargodha (UoS). The session was led by Mr. Wajahat Ali, Director Community Engagement-Lahore & Islamabad, Center for Alternative Perspectives (CAP) and Member of Board of Experts at Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad.
Mr. Wajahat delivered a comprehensive and insightful lecture that helped students thoroughly understand the essence of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) within the broader framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He began by explaining the six components that define a strong financial nation, as articulated by His Excellency President Xi Jinping, supporting his discussion with real-life examples for better comprehension.
He described CPEC as a major connectivity project and elaborated on its two phases. Phase I was defined as the “hardware phase,” during which China focused primarily on infrastructure development while Phase II was described as the “software phase,” emphasizing industrialization, social uplift, and sustainable economic growth. Mr. Wajahat further highlighted that China is emerging as a responsible global superpower and emphasized the strategic importance of CPEC. He explained that Pakistan’s geography makes it the “zipper” of Eurasia, connecting South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and China, thereby linking multiple regions through enhanced connectivity. He then thoroughly discussed various dimensions of CPEC, including agricultural revolution, food security, digitalization, seaports, and other key sectors critical for long-term development. In addition, he also shed light on the challenges that CPEC is facing and how both China and Pakistan can address those challenges.
The session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer segment during which participants actively engaged with the speaker to seek clarification and deepen their understanding.
The session was moderated by Ms. Yusra Binte Nisar, Research Assistant at Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF) and Ms. Alishba Aslam, Research Officer at Pakistan Institute for China Studies (PICS), University of Sargodha (UoS).