PAKISTANI COMMUNITY ATTITUDES AND SUPPORT FOR CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR (CPEC)

Abstract

Transport corridors are important for the development of any country. China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is launched by China and Pakistan under the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). CPEC transportation and policy making is important for the development of Pakistan. By using formal survey data from diversified socio-demographic respondents in Pakistan, the paper empirically investigates the relations among the perceived benefits of the China-Pakistan economic corridor (socio-cultural and economic), the overall attitude of the community, and the community’s support for the implementation of the project. The results show a strong indication that the perceived benefits of the project have a significant influence on the community’s attitude towards supporting the project. It also shows that overall attitude plays a strong mediating role on the relationship between each of the perceived benefits and community support. Furthermore, According to the findings of this study, the majority of respondents were optimistic about the benefits of the project. This knowledge is fruitful for researchers, policy makers, business executives, and entrepreneurs.