The Emirates Policy Center posted on 27 February 2026 an analysis titled "The Economics of Deterrence: How Corridors and Alliances Are Reshaping Geopolitics" by Ebtesam AlKetbi.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are frameworks for redistributing centers of gravity and influence, diversifying states' strategic options, and embedding long-term investment commitments.
The world is shifting from rigid alignments to flexible alliances that integrate economy and technology with digital and maritime security. Power is no longer defined solely by territorial control but by the management of flows--trade, energy, data, and capital. A state that positions itself as a central node within these networks gains strategic weight.
In the Indian Ocean region, both the Indian-led IMEC and the better known and more expansive Chinese BRI are efforts to achieve these objectives.
