SCMP Graphic Islamabad Pakistan’s state Head China boosted investment in 2009 by signing an agreement with Pakistan for a major energy project which included the construction of a 7,000-megawatt hydroelectric dam. Trade and tourism are the main economic activities of the region. The highly mountainous region covers an area of 72,971 sq km. An estimated 1.8 million people live in the region, according to 2015 United Nations estimates.Ī landslide in Gilgit, Pakistan forces a van to take an unscheduled break. Gilgit-Baltistan is part of the Kashmir region, which is disputed by India and Pakistan. Land elevation of the highway in the Gilgit and Baltistan region Graphic SCMP Gilgit-Baltistan A region in conflict PHOTO: Chris Taylor The Gate of Khunjerab marks the border of China with Pakistan’s Kashi region near Gilgit. Karakul (Black) Lake near the Karakoram Highway is 3,600 metres above sea level. The local government has stepped up police patrols and offered financial rewards for tip-offs about violent attacks. More recently, Kashgar has been plagued by violent attacks, which Beijing blames on separatists and terrorists. The city served as a key trading post along the historical Silk Road. Kashgar is an oasis city in China’s Xinjiang region with a history stretching back more than 2000 years. Land elevation of the highway between the region of Kashgar and the Khunjerab Pass on the border between China and Pakistan Graphic SCMP Kashgar On China’s western border “We’ve spent decades and 88 Chinese workers have died from natural disasters,” he said. Building the road had been difficult, said Liu Qitao, the chairman of China Communications Construction Group.

Eventually, sea ports in Gwadar and Karachi will be linked with northern Pakistan, western China and Central Asia.

Chinese cargo began to be transported overland to Gwadar Port late last year.

It’s taken decades of work to build the road from China’s Xinjiang to Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, but it’s finally partly operational. With an estimated US$54 billion worth of infrastructure projects planned for this stretch, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is the biggest project under the belt and road banner. The nexus between China and the Middle East China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Gwadar port map