This study’s aim is to investigate the role of e-governance in combating COVID-19 by integrating the implications of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). We discuss and analyze the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) reports and rankings issued by the United Nations and big data implications during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used the Origin-pro 2018 application for the analysis and discussion. Overall, China’s EGDI ranking has improved from 74 to 65 out of 193 countries, while Pakistan’s ranking has gradually declined from 137 to 148. 5G and other big data technology and e-governance implications have helped to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In this pandemic scenario, sustainable socioeconomic development in Pakistan needs significant improvement, similar to what has been done by China. We conclude that CPEC can help combat the COVID-19 pandemic because both countries are working together to mitigate social and economic problems. Pakistan should adapt and learn from the Government of China’s experience of successful and proficient e-governance model of technological advancement. This effort will ensure successful CPEC regional extension and help combat the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure Pakistan’s sustainable development.

This study aims to determine the role of globalization, electronic government, financial development, concerning the moderation of institutional quality in reducing income inequality and poverty in One Belt One Road countries. The electronic government and regional integration of the economies of the One Belt One Road countries has increased globalization and can play a vital role in reducing income inequality and poverty. However, this globalization and digital transformation of government systems can only be beneficial in the presence of good institutional quality. The sample includes 64 One Belt One Road countries from 2003 to 2018. We employed a two-step system generalized method of moment (Sys-GMM) and a robustness check through Driscoll–Kraay standard errors regression. Our findings show that globalization, economic growth, e-government development, government expenditure, and inflation have a statistically significant and negative impact on income inequality and are key to eradicating income inequality and poverty. On the other hand, financial development, gross capital formation, and population size positively influence income inequality, which causes an increase in poverty and income inequality as financial development and population levels increase. Moderating variable institutional quality also positively impacts income inequality, which means that institutional quality in Belt and Road Countries is weak, as they are mostly developing countries that need to improve their systems. Moreover, the marginal effect also revealed that institutional quality has a corrective effect on the factors’ relationship with income inequality. Our findings endorse and conclude that globalization and e-government development improve economic growth and eradicate poverty and income inequality by boosting digitalization, investments, job creation, and wage increases for semi-skilled and unskilled human capital in Belt and Road countries. The sustainable utilization of financial and institutional resources plays a vital role in reducing income inequality and poverty in Belt and Road countries.