China Radar: South Caucasus is a monthly publication dedicated to China’s activities and influence in the three nations of South Caucasus.
Strategic Partnerships
Armenia’s prime minister Nikol Pashinyan and China’s leader Xi Jinping jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between their two countries on 31 August.
China’s Presence, Activities and Influence in the South Caucasus
Diplomatic Messaging
In a meeting with the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on 31 August, China’s leader Xi Jinping “emphasized the need for the two sides to strengthen development strategy alignment” and pursue “high-quality Belt and Road cooperation”.
Xi Jinping also expressed readiness to “enhance multilateral coordination with Azerbaijan in a joint effort to safeguard the common interests of the Global South and advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity”.
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Speaking at an event in Yerevan marking the victory in the Second World War on 25 August, China’s ambassador to Armenia, Li Xinwei, said that “today we must work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind,” after stressing that “the world is undergoing profound global changes and stands at a historic turning point,” and that “direction of our future depends on the choices we make today.”
Economic Involvement and Connections
On 7 August, a subsidiary of the China Railway (China Railway Container Transport Corp. Ltd) joined a joint venture intended “to advance strategic cooperation” in transportation along the Middle Corridor between the railway administrations of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan.”
Stances and Activities by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Benefiting China’s Foreign Policy
Support for the Belt and Road Initiative
In a strategic partnership agreement announced on 31 August, Armenia pledged “to strengthen policy coordination as well as the synergy” between its own and China’s development plans within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Armenia stated it “stands ready to work with China to actively promote the implementation of relevant cooperation projects under the BRI and [Armenia’s] ’Crossroads of Peace‘ initiative and ensure the safe and successful progress of these projects.”
Other Support for China and its Policies
In a strategic partnership agreement announced on 31 August, Armenia expressed its support for “the one-China principle, recognizing that there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China,” also stating it “firmly opposes any form of ’Taiwan independence‘ and supports the efforts being made by China towards the national reunification”.
In the same document, Armenia also expressed its support for building a “community with a shared future for humanity,” as well as the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative promoted by the Chinese government.
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Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev “expressed firm adherence to the one-China principle” during his meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping on 31 August.