BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 8. The participation of China Railway Container Transportation Corporation (CRCT) in the development of the Middle Corridor reflects China's strategy to reduce its dependence on sea routes passing through geopolitically unstable areas, Trend reports.
Such a conclusion is made by experts of the Internet portal “transportcorridors.com”.
Experts point to the important role of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in the implementation of the Middle Corridor.
“Kazakhstan is a key partner of China due to its strategic location and active infrastructure development. In July 2024, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed agreements with China aimed at improving rail and road connections within the Middle Corridor. More than 212 container trains have already passed through Kazakhstan by this time, and their number is expected to exceed 300 by the end of the year,” the publication says.
The same article notes that Azerbaijan also plays an important role in the logistics of the Middle Corridor.
“The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line was recently upgraded, increasing its capacity to five million tons per year. This has reduced the delivery time of goods from China to the Black Sea to 10–12 days. The Alat port in Baku has become a key transit hub for goods crossing Central Asia and the Caucasus,” the publication emphasizes.
Furthermore, a Chinese company recently won a tender for the construction of the Anaklia deep-water port in Georgia, which will become an important part of the Middle Corridor route on the eastern shore of the Black Sea and strengthen its transportation potential.
“Thus, China is strengthening its position in Central Asia and in the Caspian and Black Sea region, relying on the Middle Corridor as a key part of its trade strategy, which promotes the development of logistics infrastructure in the region and reduces risks associated with sea routes,” the authors summarize.
The Middle Corridor has been implemented since 2014, but the last two years have been the most active.
A total of 2.7 million tons of cargo passed through it in 2023, and 4.2 million tons of cargo are planned to transit it in 2024.