As India advances its own initiative to link South Asia with Europe, the competition for future trade routes is intensifying. But will India’s corridor become a real rival—or just another headline?
This AnewZ documentary explores the critical innovations and breakthroughs needed to turn blueprints into reality: from digitalized logistics and green infrastructure to new geopolitical alignments.
The question is not only who builds the routes of tomorrow—but whose route the world will choose to follow.
From Silk Road to strategic hub
The Middle Corridor—also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route—traces its roots back to the ancient Silk Road. Today, it connects China to Europe through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye. Unlike other trade arteries, it bypasses both Russia and Iran, giving it renewed strategic weight in the current geopolitical climate.
Numbers that matter
The World Bank forecasts that trade between China and the European Union will rise by 30% by 2030, with westbound flows accounting for 62% of the total. Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan are expected to see their trade with the EU grow by nearly a third, driven by exports and improved connectivity.
The corridor already offers a 12-day journey over 7,000 kilometres, with current capacity at around six million tonnes a year. With upgrades, that could almost double by 2030.
Beyond transit: energy and integration
The Middle Corridor is not just about moving containers. It is becoming a platform for energy security and political cooperation. Projects such as the Zangezur Corridor promise to expand east-west links further, turning the region into a hub for both goods and energy.
For countries like Azerbaijan, investments in ports, railways, and border points are transforming geography into opportunity. As President Ilham Aliyev has stressed, Azerbaijan’s role is not just as a crossing point, but as a central player in Eurasia’s economic integration.
Rivals and realities
India’s push to establish its own corridor to Europe highlights the race for influence over global supply chains. Yet building such routes is about more than maps—it requires political trust, financing, and harmonized infrastructure. The Middle Corridor has already made progress with joint roadmaps, terminals, and logistics hubs, though challenges remain in customs alignment and digitalisation.
The road ahead
For the Middle Corridor, the stakes are high: it could either remain a niche alternative or evolve into a major artery of Eurasian trade. Its future depends on how effectively regional players coordinate, how much private investment flows in, and whether it can deliver speed, reliability, and cost-efficiency at scale.
The corridors of tomorrow will not be chosen solely by geography—they will be chosen by trust, cooperation, and vision.
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Mainland China and Hong Kong equities slipped on Tuesday, Reuters reported, as investors grew cautious ahead of delayed U.S. economic data expected to clarify the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook.
The number of newly enrolled international students at U.S. colleges and universities fell by 17% this autumn, a report shows, with policies under the Trump administration cited as a key factor.
The number of first-time asylum applicants in the European Union fell by 27% in August 2025, Eurostat data shows. A total of 51,465 people applied for international protection for the first time, down from 70,290 in August 2024 and 55,390 in July 2025.
The U.S. Southern Command announced on Sunday that a military strike in the Eastern Pacific killed three individuals suspected of narcotics smuggling. The operation was carried out by the Joint Task Force Southern Spear under the direction of Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.
Ukraine is facing a sharp escalation in fighting across several fronts, with Russian forces launching large-scale offensive operations while Kyiv intensifies long-range strikes deep inside Russian territory.
Russia announced on Sunday that its forces had made significant advances in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, capturing two settlements as part of what it described as a broader offensive aimed at securing full control of the strategic territory.
Russia announced on Sunday that its forces had made significant advances in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, capturing two settlements as part of a broader offensive aimed at seizing full control of the area.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is taking part in the at the 7th Consultative Meeting of Central Asian leaders, which is being held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has issued a formal advisory urging Chinese tourists to refrain from travelling to Japan in the near future, citing growing safety risks and recent political tensions.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday talked up "high-level exchanges" in a call with Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi, hinting at a potential meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japan's new premier, Sanae Takaichi.
The U.S. supports measures against drug cartels and narcotics production in Mexico and Colombia, following a series of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, President Donald Trump said Monday.
The U.S. has not ruled out putting American forces on the ground in Venezuela and is willing to hear directly from Nicolas Maduro about proposals to avert further military escalation, President Donald Trump said on Monday.
The number of newly enrolled international students at U.S. colleges and universities fell by 17% this autumn, a report shows, with policies under the Trump administration cited as a key factor.
The number of first-time asylum applicants in the European Union fell by 27% in August 2025, Eurostat data shows. A total of 51,465 people applied for international protection for the first time, down from 70,290 in August 2024 and 55,390 in July 2025.
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