Masood Khan was Pakistan's ambassador to China for four years. He is now Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad.

"The Belt and Road initiative is incomplete without Pakistan, without this corridor. It reduces the cost of transporting Chinese merchandise from 9,000 to 3,000 miles. It is the flagship project and this is their counter-pivot. What the Chinese are saying is instead of having an open confrontation, why don't we have investment, infrastructure, business and development? Instead of competition why don't we have cooperation? If China succeeds it will increase its influence exponentially. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not being handed to us on a platter; we will have to work for it."