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
- At a reception hosted at the Chinese Embassy in Armenia on the occasion of the Spring Festival, the Chinese Ambassador to Armenia, Li Xinwei, spoke about Armenia-China relations. Li Xinwei noted that a number of projects were progressing within the framework of Armenian-Chinese cooperation, including the North-South highway, solar power plants and the construction of a new pavilion for the Public Television. He also emphasised that the frequency of Urumqi-Yerevan flights had increased to three times a week and the number of tourists visiting Armenia from China had risen by 40%.
- Armenian company E-auto announced that it would officially represent Chinese car brand Hongqi in the Georgian market, Armenpress reported on February 26. The official representation agreement, licensing documents and relevant certificates were signed in Changchun, China, where the parent company of the Hongqi brand, China FAW Group Co., Ltd., is headquartered. The documents were signed by the Co-Founder and Business Development Director of E-auto, Georg Gasparyan, and the General Manager of Hongqi Central Asia, Zhang Wei.
- On February 17, Armenian Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, sent a congratulatory message to the CCP Chairman Xi Jinping and Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the occasion of the Spring Festival.
“Armenia attaches great importance to the continuous strengthening and deepening of relations with China, elevating them to a strategic level that creates new opportunities for both countries. I am confident that the efforts made to further develop relations between our countries will enrich the framework of our strategic partnership with ambitious goals and new programs,” he noted.
- President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent “warm greetings” to the CCP Chairman Xi Jinping on the occasion of the Spring Festival.
“We are gratified by the continued deepening and enrichment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China, built on a solid foundation. Undoubtedly, the intensity of our political dialogue and mutual understanding creates favourable conditions for the further rapid development and strengthening of these relations,” Aliyev said.
- On February 4, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, highlighted the country’s position on the Taiwan issue during an interview with the Chinese Global Times.
He emphasized that Azerbaijan did not recognize Taiwan’s independence and had been one of the first nations to condemn the elections held in Taiwan in January 2024. The Foreign Minister stressed Azerbaijan’s “strong commitment” to the “One China” principle, asserting that “…any actions that destabilise the regional order are harmful and counterproductive. Provocations, unilateral actions, or attempts to alter the status quo through external interference only heighten the risk of conflict and undermine international trust.”-
Georgia-China
The National Bank of Georgia and China
- The National Bank of Georgia gained access to the China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM) under a memorandum signed between the NBG and the People’s Bank of China, 1TV reported on February 12.
According to the National Bank of Georgia, this places it among a small group of central banks authorized to operate in the CIBM. Access to the market was secured during the official visit of an NBG delegation to China under a memorandum signed with the People’s Bank of China.
- According to the President of the National Bank of Georgia, Natia Turnava, gaining access to the China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM) will “significantly” enhance the efficiency of international reserves management and support their diversification. She also noted that the National Bank plans to share its experience with the private and financial sectors to facilitate their participation in the Chinese securities market.
Other
- On February 27, the Georgian Dream Chairman of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, stated the following about a US congressman: “Mr. Joe Wilson should turn on the TV and that see the German Chancellor, who is currently in China, is very happy and is having good meetings. This also reflects the general situation and applies to the European Union, which is restricting our relations with China. This once again shows that some forces are returning to the European mentality of a hundred years ago, when there were big and small countries and the big prevented the small from doing certain things… Who are we supposed to harm with our small economy, it turns out we don’t even have the right to talk to China.”
- A Chinese wind power technology company and provider of clean energy solutions, Goldwind, completed the first turbine installation at Georgia’s largest wind power initiative to date, the Ruisi Wind Power Project, located near the city of Gori, China.org.cn reported on February 5.
The Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, Zhou Qian, said that in recent years, cooperation between Chinese and Georgian enterprises had evolved from traditional infrastructure to high-tech sectors and complete equipment supply.
Once fully operational, the Ruisi Wind Farm will reportedly have a total capacity of 206 MW, generating approximately 600 million kWh of clean electricity annually, “enough to power over 200,000 households and reduce carbon emissions by over 400,000 metric tons per year.”
- The Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, Zhou Qian, addressed a reception for the Chinese community to celebrate the upcoming Spring Festival on February 2.
Zhou Qian noted that over the past year Chinese enterprises in Georgia had facilitated implementation of major projects in sectors such as investment, infrastructure, telecommunications and energy, “while Confucius Institute teachers and volunteers have dedicated themselves to promoting the Chinese language and culture.”
- On February 3, the Ambassador of Georgia to China, Paata Kalandadze, held a meeting with the General Manager of the North Star Sinogold Company, Meng Haijun.
Reportedly, the parties discussed prospects for the deepening of the Georgian-Chinese partnership in international supply chain development and port logistics and agreed to maintain close communication on this matter.
- On February 16, BGNES reported that, according to the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Chinese-made facial recognition and mass surveillance technologies were increasingly being used by authorities in Serbia and Georgia “to monitor and penalise protesters and government critics, raising concerns about fundamental rights and democratic standards.”
- On February 3, the Chinese Embassy reported that its Advisor in Georgia, Tai Chunyung, had attended the annual award ceremony for the “Top Ten Georgian Athletes in Non-Olympic Sports.” The event was hosted by radio station JAKOFM 93.5 and supported by Georgia’s Ministry of Sports.
Reportedly, the Chinese Embassy was the only diplomatic mission in Georgia invited to the event. The embassy representative presented awards to the winners from the Georgian National Wushu Federation and encouraged them to continue popularising “Chinese Wushu and its inherent traditional Chinese culture in Georgia, as well as promoting friendship between the peoples of the two countries.”