Unveiling the Energy Nexus: The Trilateral Confluence Energy Corridor (TCEC) between China, Pakistan, and Iran

Nation-states pledge to self-help and alliance ideologies to safeguard their territorial integrity and advance their national interests. Neoclassical realists expand upon this notion by asserting that a state’s foreign policy is influenced by domestic, unit-level (endogenous variables) and systemic (exogenous variables). Considering the geostrategic and geopolitical position of China, Pakistan, and Iran, this paper evaluates Chinese, Iranian, and Pakistani energy needs and potential. The requirements, prospects, and existing energy sources of these states create the potential for a cooperative framework from which each state can benefit. Based on these considerations, the paper proposes a trilateral energy corridor termed Trilateral Confluence Energy Corridor (TCEC) between China, Pakistan, and Iran. Complex interdependence theory is used to analyze the significance of this corridor, emphasizing its geographic connectivity and the potential for collaboration and cross-cultural exchanges among them. This corridor will facilitate energy trade between these states via pipeline, land, and sea routes and offers the possibility of regionalism.