China's presence in the Global South has increased dramatically over the course of a decade. The discourse of mutual benefit and non-intervention has attracted much attention in the developing world, which is now facing the consequences of Western interventions. However, the extent to which Chinese engagement in the developing world stays true to these principles needs to be evaluated in terms of its effects on the political economic structures of the host nations. This study analyses how China and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is interacting with the political and economic realities of Pakistan. Firstly, the study traces the history of regionalism in Pakistan and shows that over the years, the developmental mission of the central state has created deep-seated regionalism in Pakistan. The study shows that CPEC is deepening such cleavages. The regionalist forces have opposed the project in two broad ways: through demanding a greater share in the project or through completely rejecting the interventions. Secondly, the study analyses the lop-sided civil-military relations in Pakistan and concludes that Chinese engagement in Pakistan is leading to the military's tighter control of civilian and economic matters relating to CPEC.

The original article did not include an acknowledgements section. The article has been updated to include the following acknowledgements: Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. Burak Gürel for his supervision and support throughout this research. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Erdem Yörük and Mustafa Yağcı for their comments on the thesis from which this paper was derived. Mr. Muhammad Aqeel Awan's help in formulating this paper was also invaluable. I also feel deeply indebted to the Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities of Koç University for providing me with the opportunity and resources for conducting this research.