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
On 13 October, China’s ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian met with the prime minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze, congratulating him on his ruling Georgian Dream party’s “convincing victory” in the Georgian local elections held on 4 October.
Diplomatic Messaging
In a 7 October interview, China’s ambassador to Georgia, Zhou Qian, promoted Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative, saying that China supported “equal rights and equal opportunities for every country” to achieve “win-win cooperation and common development.”
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On 16 October, ambassador Zhou Qian published an article in the Georgian Rezonansi media outlet, with the title “The One China Principle is Indisputable,“ writing that China appreciated Georgia’s “long-standing commitment to the one China principle.”
Economic Involvement and Connections
On 27 October, Azerbaijan Railways (Azerbaijan’s state-owned rail operator) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China’s Xi’an Port “to enhance international transport and logistics cooperation,” “along the Middle Corridor under the Belt and Road Initiative.” The memorandum “outlines joint efforts to optimize container train operations, reduce transport times, improve the Middle Corridor, modernize railway and port infrastructure, enhance Caspian Sea cargo transport mechanisms, expand the functionality of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, strengthen connections with the Turkish and European rail networks, and attract more transit cargo.”
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Azerbaijani media reported on 29 October that Azerbaijan’s authorities and China’s city of Xi’an had discussed establishing “direct air connections.”
Technological Influence
The Memorandum of Understanding signed on 27 October between the Azerbaijan Railways and China’s Xi’an Port to enhance transportation and logistics envisions “real-time monitoring of shipments through an electronic data exchange system.”
Stances and Activities by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Benefiting China’s Foreign Policy
Support for the Belt and Road Initiative
In a meeting with the Chinese ambassador on 24 October, Georgia’s foreign minister Maka Botchorishvili reportedly said that Georgia “hopes to work with China to deepen and solidify cooperation related to the Middle Corridor and the Belt and Road Initiative, and jointly promote regional and global peace, stability and development.”
Other Support for China and its Policies
On 17 October, Azerbaijan denied entry into the country to six members of the Judges Association of Taiwan, who were trying to attend the International Association of Judges annual conference that was, on this occasion, held in Baku.