Part 2/9:

In the span of seven years, the BRI has spawned numerous high-profile projects, such as the Karakoram Highway—also known as the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway—which stretches 1,300 kilometers from the Chinese border to Islamabad. This highway, costing an estimated $275 million, provides China with strategic access to Pakistan's deep-water Gwadar port, a critical component of China's maritime strategy, especially given that approximately 60% of China's energy needs are imported via the Persian Gulf.