MULTILATERAL STRATEGIC COMPETITIONS: ASSESSING CHINA'S BRI AND INDIA'S IMEC

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has significantly expanded China’s political and economic influence in world politics. The competition between China, India, and the United States has intensified since the announcement of the BRI. Nearly a decade after the BRI's launch, India introduced the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), backed by the United States and European Union (EU). However, India’s IMEC and other expected corridors are not as comprehensive as those of China. China’s BRI includes six corridors covering railways, seaways, and highways. It is also supported by substantial economic foundations such as the Silk Road Fund and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and nearly 150 backing countries. Unlike the BRI, IMEC lacks strong financial backing and appears to primarily serve Western strategic interests. This study analyses the BRI and the IMEC initiatives to assess their future trajectories.