China's Middle Corridor Push Puts Europe In The Slow Lane

2025-09-29 05:01:37

(MENAFN- Asia Times) As Central Asia reshapes Eurasian trade routes, with China and Turkey consolidating influence, Europe faces a strategic test: adapt quickly to stay relevant or risk being sidelined in one of the 21st century's most consequential connectivity shifts.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine , Central Asia has emerged as a critical hub in a reshaped Eurasian trade network. Countries from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan are diversifying transit routes to reduce dependence on Russia, giving new prominence to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) – better known as the Middle Corridor.

This corridor links China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus, bypassing traditional northern routes through Russia.

Eurasia's trade map is shifting

In late 2024, shipments of advanced automotive electronics and components increasingly departed from inland Chinese hubs such as Chongqing and Zhengzhou .

Rather than taking the traditional northern route across Russia, goods traveled south through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan , crossed the Caspian Sea via Azerbaijan , and continued overland through Georgia to Europe.

While slower, these routes reflect a strategic calculation: companies are avoiding corridors compromised by war or political risk. These shifts are no longer isolated – they signal a structural reorganization of Eurasian trade flows, with long-term implications for global supply chains and regional influence.

China and Turkey gain influence

China has emerged as the primary beneficiary. By investing in infrastructure and securing bilateral agreements with Central Asian governments, Beijing is ensuring its exports continue to flow westward despite geopolitical turbulence.

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