Pakistan-China Relations from Distant Past to the Present: A History of the Silk Route

Abstract

Pakistan and China are two neighboring countries who have been connected via land routes through extremely difficult terrain since ancient times. This friendship was started through what is historically called the Silk Route. Starting from the times of the Han dynasty (207 BCE – 220 CE) to the contemporary times China has been connected through its trade links with the West and the East including the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent. Thus Buddhism spread from Indo-Pakistan to Central Asia and reached the Far East through China. This paper attempts to trace the origin and development of historical, socio-cultural, religious and economic ties between China and Pakistan. While tracing the development of historical ties the emphasis would be on the establishment of the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Therefore, it is important to understand the precedents of the contemporary Silk Route which will continue an ancient tradition.