China is keeping an eye on IMEC

China supported the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor, but said that the same should not be used as a 'geopolitical tool'. Nevertheless, Chinese media has pronounced it as a 'counter' to China's BRI.

- B.R. DEEPAK

The announcement of the ambitious IndiaMiddle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi was the biggest takeaway from the congregation. The IMEC was jointly announced by the leaders of the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union on 9 September. According to the MoU posted by the White House on its website, "the IMEC will be comprised of two separate corridors, the east corridor connecting India to the Arabian Gulf and the northern corridor connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe. It will include a railway that, upon completion, will provide a reliable and cost-effective crossborder ship-to-rail transit network to supplement existing maritime and road transport routes-enabling goods and services to transit to, from, and between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe."