Middle Corridor grows top priority for region’s nations – Chinese think tank

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17. The Trans-Caspian
International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) has become
the top priority option for countries in the region, Ding Jianwei,
Senior Fellow of the Chinese Taihe Institute, told Trend.

“Practice has proven that the Middle Corridor has become the top
priority option for countries in the region, which allows them to
hedge against the current crisis, restore China-Europe freight
routes, and expand economic and trade cooperation between
countries,” he said.

According to Ding Jianwei, since the 21st century, the world has
become unstable.

“Global stock markets, foreign exchange markets, crude oil,
grain, and nonferrous metals futures markets have all fluctuated,
and supply chain disruptions have emerged as a key danger to the
global economy. The outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has
exacerbated already strained global industrial and supply lines.
Russia and Ukraine are significant global exporters of energy,
industrial raw materials, agricultural products, and food items, as
well as major transportation arteries connecting Eurasia. The
confrontation between Russia and Ukraine has lasted two years and
constitutes not just a military conflict between these two
countries but also an economic war between Russia and the US and
its supporters,” he noted.

As Ding Jianwei noted, as a result of the chain reaction of war
and economic sanctions, global production and supply chains were
interrupted, especially the Black Sea routes, and air and land
transport were suspended.

“The Northern Corridor, which traditionally connects the eastern
and western ends of the Eurasian continent through Russia, has been
hampered by comprehensive sanctions and Russia’s isolation from the
West. At the same time, the countries of Central Asia and the South
Caucasus have severely limited transport capabilities. Supply
chains were disrupted. Against this background, the importance of
the Middle Corridor, passing through Central Asia, the South
Caucasus, and Türkiye, has become increasingly visible. The
countries of the region want to take advantage of the situation,
make full use of the Middle Corridor, and break out of the
blockade,” he said.

At the same time, Ding Jianwei pointed out that the volume of
cargo transported along this route exceeded 1.7 million tons from
January through August 2023. By 2025, the total cargo turnover on
this route is expected to exceed 10 million tons.

“The strategic status of the Middle Corridor continues to rise
due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the Red Sea crisis.
Increased policy coordination among countries along the route and
increased capital investment can help improve the route’s expansion
capabilities and development,” he noted.

The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that
connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the
region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern
Corridor and Southern Corridor.

The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries
such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes
through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before
reaching Europe.

The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the
eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the
longer maritime routes.