Jaishankar’ book markets IMEC dreams in Italy against operationalised CPEC
Rome: Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has implicitly framed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a challenge to territorial sovereignty while pitching the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as a stable alternative.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Jaishankar made the remarks during the launch of his book Perché l’India conta (Why India Matters) in Italy. He urged Italy to join IMEC as a “rules-based counterpoint” to the geopolitical risks he associated with CPEC.
Analysts note that while CPEC under the Belt and Road Initiative has materialized and is delivering results for Pakistan by connecting directly to China’s industrial ecosystem, IMEC remains at the conceptual stage and lacks integrated logistics and financing clarity. The corridor’s viability is also seen as dependent on Saudi-Israeli normalization, which has weakened following the Gaza war and Red Sea attacks. The book launch comes after Italy quit the BRI in 2023 under US pressure forwarded by India.
Critics argue that by lobbying Europe against CPEC while promoting IMEC, India appears more interested in excluding Pakistan and containing China from Eurasian trade routes than in genuine connectivity. They also point to recurring India-China border crises, communal polarization, and militarization in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir as factors contributing to regional instability.
