Global Connectivity: The Interaction of BRI and IMEC in the Middle East with Syria as a Case Study

Abstract Amid contemporary shifts in global power relations, investment in large-scale connectivity networks has become a decisive instrument of geopolitical rivalry. Since its launch in 2013, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has evolved into the most extensive cross-border infrastructure program worldwide, integrating over 150 states and numerous international organizations, while domestically reinforcing China’s westward development model through centralized planning and coordinated implementation. In contrast, the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor (IMEC), unveiled during the 2023 G20 Summit with strong backing from the United States, India, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, proposes a multi-modal transport and energy system linking South Asia to Europe via the Gulf and the Levant. Whereas the BRI projects are primarily framed as development-driven, IMEC carries a more overtly strategic orientation designed to balance Beijing’s growing influence. This article analyzes the interaction between these two competing frameworks with particular emphasis on the Middle East, and Syria as a focal case. The results show that even Syria is very important for the corridors. However, there are many factors which play role in the corridors conflict.