The digest covers China’s political, diplomatic, economic, and other activities in the South Caucasus region and relations between China and the South Caucasus countries. It relies on a wide variety of sources, including the Chinese media. It is worth noting that the Chinese media is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (according to the World Press Freedom Index, China is nearly at the bottom of the list and ranks 178th out of 180 countries).
Armenia-China
On June 7, Armenpress reported that at an election polling station, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan answered journalists’ questions about various issues, including China.
“We adopted a document on strategic partnership with President Xi Jinping last year. This is a fact. I am confident that this fact will not change in a negative context as a result of the elections. I believe that our strategic partnership will continue to develop in the future as well, because both countries are interested in it. In particular, within the framework of the ‘Crossroads of Peace’ project, there are great opportunities, and I am confident that our partnership will deepen,” Pashinyan said.
Azerbaijan-China
Middle Corridor
On June 3, the Head of the Digital Logistics Platform (DLP) project Ehtiram Guliyev said that Azerbaijan was actively negotiating the establishment of a direct data exchange system with China in the field of freight transportation.
Reportedly, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan had jointly prepared and submitted a corresponding roadmap to the Chinese side.
“As part of the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor, cooperation with Russia has begun on the implementation of electronic consignment notes (e-CMR) based on an intergovernmental agreement. Similar mechanisms of cooperation have already been successfully established with Kazakhstan and Türkiye,” Guliyev said.
Reportedly, presently, Georgia remains the only key country along the Middle Corridor that has not yet joined this digital integration process. However, according to the report, “its participation is expected in the very near future”.
Education
On June 10, Azertac reported that Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Science and Education Hasan Hasanli had met with a delegation from the Xi’an Shiyou University of China.
They discussed expanding cooperation between the Xi’an Shiyou University and Azerbaijani higher education institutions, promoting the exchange of students and academic staff and implementing joint scientific research projects.
Other
- On June 23, Azertac reported that a delegation from Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) had met with the Head of CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd. Chen Zhisi to discuss the modernisation of Azerbaijan’s locomotive fleet, the enhancement of rolling stock capacity for freight and passenger transport and the expansion of bilateral cooperation.
Reportedly, under a contract signed in 2025 between ADY and CRRC Ziyang, seven new freight locomotives are expected to be delivered to Azerbaijan in September 2026. The two sides also held negotiations on the procurement of additional 14 locomotives. During the visit, the ADY delegation inspected the final stage of production of the seven locomotives. ADY and CRRC Ziyang also signed an agreement for the purchase of four new mainline passenger locomotives, scheduled for procurement in 2027.
- AZPROMO Executive Director Yusif Abdullayev and the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Chaired by Liu Furong discussed expanding economic cooperation and potential partnership opportunities in various fields, Report wrote on June 18. They discussed potential cooperation in green energy, food processing, agriculture, logistics and education.
- Azerbaijan and China signed a series of agreements aimed at expanding Azerbaijani food exports to the Chinese market, Azertac reported on June 12.
Georgia-China
Chronology
June 5 – Georgian Minister of Education from the Georgian Dream party Givi Mikanadze visited the International Youth Exchange Centre of China and met with the leadership. The conversation touched upon the implementation of joint youth projects, including the issue of offering summer camps for students.
June 5 – Georgian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from Georgian Dream party Alexander Khvtisiashvili met with the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian, 1TV reported on June 5.
They reportedly emphasised the importance of high-level visits. The meeting also touched upon the ongoing processes and challenges in the region and the world.
June 6 – Georgian Minister of Education from the Georgian Dream party Givi Mikanadze held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Education of China Ren Youqun.
They agreed that a new agreement would be signed between the ministries in 2026, covering the main areas of cooperation in the fields of education, science and youth.
They also discussed promoting the strengthening of ties between universities and vocational education institutions, holding joint international youth camps, introducing artificial intelligence into the educational process at all levels of education, the development of digital technologies and other issues.
June 8 – Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality from Georgian Dream Tea Akhvlediani held a working meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian.
June 9 – The CCP leader Xi Jinping and Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili from the Georgian Dream party exchanged congratulatory messages to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Georgia.
Xi said that since the establishment of the strategic partnership between China and Georgia in 2023, the mutual political trust between the two sides had been further strengthened, practical cooperation had been accelerated and multilateral collaboration had become more productive.
Xi Jinping noted that regardless of changes in the international landscape, China had always viewed China-Georgia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.
On the occasion of the 34th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, the two sides made a joint decision to lift Georgia-China relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
June 9 – On the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Georgia, the Chinese Ambassador Zhou Qian reviewed recent developments in Georgia-China relations and concluded that China was “willing to work together with the Georgian side to continue deepening high-level exchanges to consolidate political mutual trust, expanding economic and trade cooperation to complement each other…”
June 9 – The Chinese Ambassador Zhou Qian said that the Middle Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative were important not only for Georgia and the countries along the Middle Corridor, but also for the connection between Europe and China.
“We always believe that relations with Georgia and other developing countries are the foundation of China’s diplomacy. We share a common vision of the international order, which means justice and upholding the principles of the UN Charter,” he said.
According to Zhou, Georgia-China relations can also bring high-tech to Georgia, as “China today is a leading country in innovation, especially in the fields of telecommunications technologies and artificial intelligence”.
June 10 – The Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili from the Georgian Dream party commented on the Georgia-China relations: “It brings its own results both economically and, in general, in terms of the country’s development and security, when a country has relations with different countries, in this case with China. So, the results that this partnership brings are tangible”.
June 10 – “The signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between Georgia and China is an event of special importance for our country, both politically and economically,” Georgian Prime Minister from Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze commented.
“When the Chinese government shows such an equal attitude towards Georgia, of course, this deserves special appreciation, and thanks to the Chinese government for this… Deepening relations with China is of particular importance to us and I would also like to emphasize China’s special role in the modern world. If we simply look at the history of the past half century, China is the only peaceful superpower in the modern world. This requires special appreciation, and in this regard and from a value perspective, expanding relations with China is important for us,” he said.
June 12 – A delegation from the Public Security Department of China, Guizhou Province, paid a working visit to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
“The meeting focused on the existing cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of the two countries, and the prospects for further expansion of existing ties, including in the field of police education, were also discussed,” 1TV reported.
Reportedly, during the visit, the Chinese delegation visited the Public Safety and Police Academy, where a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the parties: “Within the framework of the memorandum, the parties will have the opportunity to implement joint educational projects, as well as share experience and best practices”.
June 12 – As part of the meetings held in Shanghai, the President of the National Bank of Georgia Natia Turnava met with the President of the Central Bank of China Pan Gongsheng.
They reportedly discussed issues of economic and financial cooperation between Georgia and China, ongoing cooperation in financial markets and services, and opportunities for deepening future partnership.
June 13 – As part of a symposium held in Shanghai, the President of the National Bank of Georgia Natia Turnava met with the President of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Lin Liao.
“The meeting focused on deepening cooperation in the field of trading in Chinese securities and investing in the Chinese bond market, as well as on current trends and development prospects in international financial markets,” 1TV reported.
June 14 – In an interview with Georgian Times, Chinese Ambassador said that Georgia had received tangible benefits from participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, saying “highways, railways and other projects built by Chinese companies have played a vital role in improving Georgia’s logistics and transportation capabilities”.
Th interviewer Malkhaz Gulashvili asked, how did he see China’s role and mediation in restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity, to which Zhou answered that China “has always respected Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and appreciates Georgia’s policy of peacefully resolving territorial issues. China supports Georgia and all diplomatic efforts that contribute to resolving conflicts and maintaining lasting peace…” He also claimed that “the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the successful ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand were the result of China’s active mediation”.
The Ambassador noted that based on the economic “complementarity” between China and Georgia, China believed that there was great potential for economic cooperation between the two countries in different areas including digital economy and artificial intelligence.
“China’s digital economy ranks second in the world and its technologies and experience in smart cities, 5G and artificial intelligence will help Georgia upgrade its digital infrastructure. In addition, China has established international friendship group on artificial intelligence capacity development within the framework of the United Nations and welcomes Georgia’s membership,” he noted.
One of the discussed areas was trade in vehicles, especially the used car trade, with the Chinese ambassador adding that “last year, the Georgian Ministry of Environment and Agriculture issued new regulations recognizing China’s vehicle emission standards”.
Regarding Anaklia port project, in an interview, Zhou said that Chinese companies had “outstanding port construction capabilities and are willing to participate in the construction of Anaklia Port in accordance with commercial and market principles”.
He further commented that “enterprises from the two countries can, based on Georgia’s industrial base, explore cooperation opportunities in areas such as digital economy and information technology services, artificial intelligence and smart cities, big data processing centers, fintech, e-commerce logistics systems…”
He also welcomed more Georgian businesses to support the use of Chinese mobile payment applications such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.
In an interview the ambassador also said: “Whether it is the Ukraine crisis or the tensions in the Middle East, China is not a party involved in them, but it has always insisted on resolving disputes peacefully within its capabilities and actively maintained the stability of international industrial and supply chains, thus clearly demonstrating the responsibility of a major power”.
June 15 – The Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili from Georgian Dream party met with the Ambassador of China Zhou Qian.
Reportedly, they discussed issues of trade and economic relations between the two countries and the prospects for their further development.
June 15 – In an interview with CGTN, Shalva Papuashvili said that “China is an example of transformation and development of a country, be it political development, economic development, be it development of a society”.
June 16 – The State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Tea Akhvlediani from the Georgian Dream party held an official meeting with the Commissioner of the National Commission for Ethnic Affairs of China Qin Yizhi.
They exchanged views on future priorities and discussed possible ways to further deepen cooperation.
June 16 – Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze met with a delegation from the National Ethnic Affairs Commission (NEAC) of China.
They reportedly discussed cooperation on ethnic issues in bilateral and international formats and expressed readiness for mutual sharing of experience in this direction.
June 16 – The Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maka Bochorishvili from Georgian Dream held a meeting with the Commissioner of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission (NEAC) of China Qin Yizhi.
June 18 – A delegation from the National Commission for Ethnic Affairs of China visited the Sagarejo House of Justice in Georgia.
June 26 – Imedi conducted an interview with the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian, where among other issues he discussed the newly announced comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Georgia.
He noted that the two countries would strengthen high-level visits, political exchanges and experience sharing in the field of governance, and further promote the convergence of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle Corridor.
Zhou also emphasised that China-Georgia economic and trade cooperation will be further expanded, adding that the prospects for cooperation between China and Georgia in new areas such as finance and the digital economy were also very broad.
“Basisbank, which is controlled by Chinese capital, recently acquired Liberty Bank, thus becoming the third largest commercial bank in Georgia. Chinese e-commerce platforms are gradually starting to establish their businesses in Georgia,” he said.
The Ambassador also said that China and Georgia had a good political foundation and favorable conditions for high-tech cooperation: “Enterprises from the two countries can, based on Georgia’s industrial base, explore cooperation opportunities in areas such as digital economy and information technology services, artificial intelligence and smart cities, big data processing centers, fintech, agricultural digitization, etc.”
He also commented on West: “Both China and Georgia are ancient civilizations with a long history. Compared with some Western countries, both nations understand the importance of mutual understanding and tolerance between countries better”.
The Ambassador claimed that the Chinese side has “never interfered in Georgia’s internal affairs, has never tried to lecture Georgia on issues such as democracy and human rights, and has never asked Georgia to choose between China and Europe or China and the United States” noting that “China does not link foreign economic and trade cooperation and foreign aid to political conditions, and has never demanded that Georgia abandon its own goals and independent policies in developing relations with China”.
He also said that the two sides exchanged experiences in the field of governance on topics such as financial innovation, internet regulation, protection of the rights of minors and ethnic minorities, etc.
June 26 – The Georgian Prime Minister from the Georgian Dream party Irakli Kobakhidze commented on China: “I would like to list the countries from the European Union that have signed a strategic partnership agreement with China. These are: Germany, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Greece. Perhaps a strategic partnership with China contradicts the goal of European integration. Such statements are laughable”.
“I would like to remind you of one thing: when China is talked about in a negative context, including in terms of value, China is the only peaceful superpower in the world, according to the examples of the last half century of history. The only country that has not had any war since 1979. This is a very important value issue that brings us closer to the People’s Republic of China,” Kobakhidze claimed.
Education
A “Research Centre for the Dialogue of Civilisations and Cooperation between China and Georgia” opened at the Faculty of Law and International Relations of Georgian Technical University, within the framework of a cooperation memorandum signed between GTU and Lanzhou University of Technology (China), Interpressnews reported on June 24.
The second international scientific conference, titled Dialogue of Civilisations: Problems and Challenges, was held at Georgian Technical University (GTU), organised by the Faculty of Law and International Relations, Interpressnews reported on June 26. The event took place within the framework of a cooperation memorandum between GTU and Lanzhou University of Technology (China).