China Radar: South Caucasus is a monthly publication dedicated to China’s activities and influence in the three nations of South Caucasus.
China’s Presence, Activities and Influence in the South Caucasus
Political Activities
China’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Lu Mei, visited the headquarters of the ruling New Azerbaijan party on 11 December, meeting with the party’s top leadership. The Chinese side expressed its “readiness to further strengthen contacts between the ruling parties of the two countries,” and to “deepen the exchange of experience in the field of party building.”
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On 4 December, China’s ambassador to Georgia, Zhou Qian, met with one of the leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Giorgi Volski, and a number of other Georgian parliament members from the Georgian Dream and its satellite ‘People’s Power’ party, under the ‘Georgia-China Friendship Group of the Georgian Parliament’ format. The ambassador expressed the Chinese side’s readiness to strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies and “exchange experiences in governance with Georgia.”
Diplomatic Messaging
In a briefing on 25 December, China’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Lu Mei, expressed Beijing’s wish “to work together with the Azerbaijani side to promote ‘high-quality cooperation’ within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,” and “move together towards the formation of a community of common destiny of mankind.”
Economic Involvement and Connections
On 25 December, Chinese media reported that a “China-built modern railway” had been put into operation in Georgia, with the Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze attending the inauguration ceremony in Khashuri. As a result of the upgrade, the railway’s “annual freight capacity is set to increase from 27 million to 48 million tons.”
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On 2 December, Air China began to operate twice-weekly flights between Beijing and Tbilisi, Georgia via Urumqi (Xinjiang).
Soft Power
On 17 December, an international conference dedicated to the China-Armenia strategic partnership was held at the initiative of the Confucius Institute at the Brusov State University in Yerevan. The head of the hosting university, Davit Gyurjinyan, praised China’s Global Governance Initiative “which calls on all countries to develop together and live in harmony.” The conference involved “academics, diplomats and experts.”
Stances and Activities by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Benefiting China’s Foreign Policy
Support for the Belt and Road Initiative
On 2 December, the Chinese media reported the Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze stressing the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative for Georgia, and saying that Tbilisi is “happy to be strengthening our connectivity capacities within the Belt and Road framework and to demonstrate our important role.”
Other Support for China and its Policies
On 30 December, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry spokesperson stressed that “the position of Azerbaijan on the one-China policy was irreversible, clear and consistent.”