Building deep-water ports at home and abroad has been a hallmark of many of the world’s emerging powers. The ‘String of Pearls’ policy is arguably the most notable recent example, with the Chinese government upgrading its own ports, as well as those of countries on which it relies for trade and that have strategic geographic importance.
Such a strategy, which in China’s case has included construction of deep-water ports in Gwadar in Pakistan and Chittagong in Bangladesh, benefits both the emerging power and the developing countries being invested in. These ports have significant value, increasing the strategic importance of countries that have them, as well as boosting their economic status by enhancing their ability to expand their import and export capacities.
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