According to the US-based news outlet Axios, the US is in talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and India to build a massive railway project connecting the Arab world to India via shipping lanes.
According to reports, these countries’ National Security Advisors met on Sunday to discuss the joint rail project.
The move by the White House coincides with China’s growing diplomatic and economic clout in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.
An Indian news agency also confirmed that Ajit Doval, the country’s National Security Advisor, met with his counterparts from the aforementioned countries in Saudi Arabia.
Railway Project Between China and Pakistan
According to a research paper commissioned by China, China proposed last month to build a $58 billion railway network in Pakistan, making it the most expensive project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to date.
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China hopes that this massive project will reduce Pakistan’s reliance on Western trade routes. The 1,860-mile rail link between China’s Kashgar and Pakistan’s Gwadar port has the potential to change not only trade but also geopolitics.
The $57.7 billion (400 billion Yuan) project was reviewed by analysts from China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group, who stated,
“The government and financial institutions should provide strong support, increase coordination and collaboration among relevant domestic departments, strive for the injection of support funds, and provide strong policy support and guarantees for the construction of this project.”
