Spring 2024 FGRU Recipient
Muhammad Tayyab Safdar (Global Studies)
This project explores whether Chinese investment in Gwadar Port in Pakistan, located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical lifeline in global trade, can contribute to a significant reordering of Central Asian trade flows in the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Given its strategic location, proximity to Central Asia and the considerable resources expended by the Chinese in developing the port and allied infrastructure as part of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the prospects of Gwadar’s emergence as a major regional trade node present a case study to develop a better understanding of the BRI’s potentially transformative impact in Eurasia.