China Radar: South Caucasus is a monthly publication dedicated to China’s activities and influence in the three nations of South Caucasus.
Strategic Partnerships
On 9 June 2026, the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the Georgian president Mikheil Kavelashvili “jointly announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.” The previous stage in the China-Georgia relations, “strategic partnership,” had been established in 2023.
China’s Presence, Activities and Influence in the South Caucasus
Diplomatic Messaging
At an event on 9 June, the Chinese ambassador to Georgia, Zhou Qian, praised Georgia for being “the first country in the Eurasian region to sign a free trade agreement with China,” and for being “also one of the earliest cooperation partners for the Belt and Road Initiative.”
That same day, Zhou Qian also 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.”
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In an interview given on 5 June and broadcasted on 12 June, the Chinese ambassador to Georgia, Zhou Qian, said that Georgia had received “tangible benefits from participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.”
Zhou Qian also said that China was “clearly demonstrating the responsibility of a major power” by not being involved in conflicts and maintaining “the stability of international industrial and supply chains.”
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In a 26 June interview, Zhou Qian said that China and Georgia were going to “further promote the convergence of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle Corridor.”
In the same interview, the Chinese ambassador stated: “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.” He further stressed that China has “never interfered in Georgia’s internal affairs, has never tried to lecture Georgia on issues such as democracy and human rights,” and that “China does not link foreign economic and trade cooperation and foreign aid to political conditions.”
Economic Involvement and Connections
On 3 June, the head of the Azerbaijani Digital Logistics Platform (DLP) project, Ehtiram Guliyev, said that “Azerbaijan is actively negotiating the establishment of a direct data exchange system with China in the field of freight transportation.”
Stances and Activities by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Benefiting China’s Foreign Policy
Support for China and its Policies
On 10 June, Georgia’s prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze said he would like to “emphasize China’s special role in the modern world,” adding that “if we simply look at the history of the past half century, China is the only peaceful superpower in the modern world.”
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On 26 June, Kobakhidze said that “China is the only peaceful superpower in the world, according to the examples of the last half century of history.”