The Middle Corridor – Where The EU’s Global Gateway Meets the Belt and Road Initiative: What Potential for Complementarity?

The role of infrastructure in contemporary global politics is shifting and gaining growing attention. Aiming to increase global connectivity, the European Union’s Global Gateway (GG) strategy and the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are at the centre of attention as infrastructure investment programs. Between the two, the Middle Corridor emerges as an area of potential increased future consortium, both geographically and strategically. What are the GG’s goals, principles, and financial mechanisms and how does it compare with China’s BRI? How do both strategies relate to the Middle Corridor and its potential for complementarity between the two initiatives? The path forward requires refinement, but the momentum is there and the potential for collaboration lies ahead.

Strategic coordination between the BRI and GG in regions like the South Caucasus and Central Asia could maximise the impact of both initiatives. Through better coordination and working together, these initiatives could avoid duplicating efforts and instead focus on filling critical gaps in infrastructure, particularly in areas where physical connectivity is needed. Such cooperation would not only enhance the effectiveness of individual projects but also contribute to a more stable and prosperous global economy, benefiting both China and the European Union in their global development goals. Moreover, opportunities for cooperation are significantly strong in the green energy industry. To increase the success rate of projects through cooperation with China, the EESC has suggested the organisation of regular meetings with the EU-China Roundtable to discuss BRI and Global Gateway projects. This can bring a more inclusive approach, creating a window and framework to exchange views on opportunities and tackle the challenges the two initiatives are facing. 

Author: Valeria Tabelli, EIAS Junior Researcher

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