American strategy in the South Caucasus and greater Eurasia must expand beyond traditional infrastructure, investing in secure telecom networks, cloud storage, cybersecurity, digital governance, online finance, and artificial intelligence. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's recent visit to Armenia highlighted Washington's expanding interest in the Middle Corridor, connecting Europe to Asia and bypassing Russia and Iran.
While discussions focus on physical infrastructure, the strategic competition between the US and China is increasingly shaped by digital infrastructure and technological ecosystems. China has systematically integrated physical and digital presence via its Digital Silk Road, embedding technology into railways, ports, fiber-optic networks, and data systems to establish layered dependencies. Huawei, Alibaba, and Tencent are deeply involved in regional telecom, cloud services, smart logistics, and digital payment ecosystems. The US "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP)" aims to counter China's expansion. Yet, Washington's hard infrastructure focus risks inadvertently accelerating China's digital penetration, as modern corridors demand advanced digital systems. Strategic independence necessitates active US digital competition.
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