RE: China, Pakistan relations8 Feb 2026 12:03
China’s investment in Pakistan, mainly known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) under the Belt and Road Initiative has slowed and worsened in recent years for a combination of economic, political, security, and strategic reasons.
Chinese companies and workers have faced increasing militant attacks and threats in Pakistan, especially in Balochistan and other restive regions. Several high-profile attacks on Chinese engineers and projects have raised the costs and risks of operations, making Beijing more cautious about new commitments.
Ongoing political turmoil and governance challenges, including frequent changes in government and policy unpredictability, have undermined investor confidence. This instability makes long-term planning difficult for Chinese firms.
Many CPEC projects have been delayed or stalled, with only a portion of the originally planned initiatives completed. This slowdown diminishes momentum and makes Chinese investors hesitant to commit to new phases without clearer returns.
As seen evidently, the above points are all relevant to projects like the THAR coal mine and the Green Hydrogen. They have been delayed numerous times already.
In summary, China’s investment trajectory in Pakistan has faltered primarily because of rising security risks, political and economic instability in Pakistan.
Oracle will still have to financially commit to their parts of the deal even without Chinese support. The only difference now is that the Pakistan energy projects will take longer than anticipated without Chinese technical & financial support, Oracle will still need to fund there share of the pie.