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China's Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan: Bureaucratic Coordination and Chinese State‐led Development Abroad

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  • Hong Zhang

Abstract

This article examines China's bureaucratic approach to international development cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, focusing on bureaucratically structured policy coordination as a core mechanism. It highlights the central role of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) — China's top economic planning agency — in coordinating bilateral development agendas with partner countries. Drawing on China's development engagement with Pakistan as a critical case, the author analyses how the NDRC‐led mechanism reflects China's state‐led development logic and the integration of domestic and international development goals. While this mechanism has enabled the rapid mobilization of capital and infrastructure delivery, it also reveals institutional shortcomings, including a lack of horizontal coordination across Chinese bureaucracies, weak responsiveness to local political dynamics, and difficulties in sustaining cross‐sectoral initiatives. Based on fieldwork and documentary analysis, the article argues that China's model of bureaucratic coordination — while potentially influential in shaping global development paradigms — faces significant limitations unless it evolves greater institutional adaptability to operate effectively in complex governance environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Hong Zhang, 2026. "China's Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan: Bureaucratic Coordination and Chinese State‐led Development Abroad," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 57(1), pages 103-129, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:57:y:2026:i:1:p:103-129
    DOI: 10.1111/dech.70039
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