Author: Medea Ivaniadze

 

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 172th out of 180 countries).

 

Armenia-China

Political relations

  • On December 11, the Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin met with the Ambassador of Armenia to China Vahe Gevorgyan. Liu Bin said that “the friendly and cooperative relations” between China and Armenia maintained sound and stable development, with “fruitful outcomes” of the Belt and Road cooperation and effective coordination in international affairs between the two countries. According to the Chinese MFA, the two sides need to plan the next stage of exchanges and cooperation “to promote the all-round development of bilateral relations”.

Vahe Gevorgyan stated that Armenia valued its relations with China and was willing to further enhance high-level exchanges between the two countries, “deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and international coordination, and promote Armenia-China relations to a higher level”.

Vahe Gevorgyan and Liu Bin. Source: MFA of China

 

  • The Chinese Embassy in Armenia published information about the December 19 MIR interview with the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Armenia Chen Min.

Chen Min said that exchanges between top leaders of the two countries were becoming increasingly tight. He noted that next year China would hold “important events, such as the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Shanghai”, and welcomed the active participation of the Armenian side “to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation at a higher level with China”.

 

Trade

On December 6, Akra reported that from January to October 2024, Armenia’s trade with China was $2.3 billion. Reportedly, Armenia’s exports to China amounted to $988.5 million and imports from China totaled $909.5 million.

 

Education cooperation

  • On December 24, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Armenia Chen Min participated in the academic seminar “Study of Innovative Models of Cooperation between Universities of China and Armenia within the Framework of the Belt and Road Initiative”, organised by the Confucius Institute at Brusov State University in Armenia.

The Chinese Embassy in Armenia wrote that within the framework of joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative universities of both countries should deepen the forms and content of exchanges and cooperation.

 

  • On December 20, the Chinese Embassy in Armenia held the awarding ceremony of the seventh “Award for Studying and Teaching of the Chinese Language” contest. Armenian Deputy Minister of Education Araksia Svajyan attended the event.

 

  • On December 9, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Armenia Chen Min attended a presentation of new books organised at N135 school in Yerevan as part of a program for the mutual translation of classical works of China and Armenia.

 

Azerbaijan-China

 

Political relations

  • On December 20, the CCP Chairman Xi Jinping congratulated Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on his birthday.

“In recent years, under our joint leadership, China-Azerbaijan relations, characterized by the intensity of high-level contacts, the strength of political mutual trust, and the effectiveness of cooperation on the international stage, have continued to develop successfully and steadily. The two sides have achieved significant results in the framework of the high-quality joint realization of the Belt and Road Initiative. In July of this year, we announced the elevation of our bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership, thus opening a new chapter in the history of China-Azerbaijan relations,” said the letter.

  • China’s chargé d’affaires in Azerbaijan Ding Tao supported raising Azerbaijan’s status in the SCO: “China welcomes Azerbaijan’s participation in various cooperation areas and initiatives through the SCO. It supports raising the country’s status in the organization. China is ready for close cooperation with Azerbaijan. Additionally, it is ready to support more effective use of SCO platforms to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation in trade and investment, energy, digital economy, agriculture, and green development areas”.

 

Middle Corridor

On December 17, Azerbaijan Railways ADY’s Chairman Rovshan Rustamov said that over 300 block trains had left China and travelled through the Middle Corridor so far in 2024 and that for next year ADY was aiming at tripling this figure and reaching 1000 convoys.

He presented this plan during a trilateral meeting with representatives from Georgian and Kazakh Railways. Reportedly, the parties also made decisions to activate the Middle Corridor joint venture that was established last year.

 

  • “In October last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced eight steps at the opening ceremony of the 3rd High-Level Forum on International Cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative to support the initiative’s implementation, which includes the development of China-Europe container trains and joining the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route,” China’s chargé d’affaires to Azerbaijan Ding Tao noted on December 20. He said that these initiatives largely aligned with Azerbaijan’s development strategy aimed at developing transport potential based on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and had received a positive response from Azerbaijan.

Ding Tao said that Chinese companies were actively participating in the construction of multimodal transportation within the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and maintained close contacts with Azerbaijan on issues such as modernization and transformation of the Baku Port and vessel production in the Caspian Sea.

Ding Tao added that in 2025 China would provide Azerbaijan with more favorable conditions for transit transportation, which would stimulate growth from nearby regions through Azerbaijan to China.

 

Chinese companies’ increased interest

  • China’s chargé d’affaires to Azerbaijan Ding Tao said that leading Chinese renewable energy companies had signed several key cooperation agreements with Azerbaijan at the COP29 climate conference held in Baku from November 11-22 this year, Report wrote on December 20.

Reportedly, Chinese companies such as Power Construction Corporation of China and China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd (Energy China), signed “important cooperation documents” with Azerbaijan and were planning to implement several new large-scale energy projects.

Ding Tao said that a Chinese company won Azerbaijan’s first open international tender for renewable energy projects – the 100 MW Gobustan solar power plant project. According to the report, China Southern Power Grid International Limited (Hong Kong) and Powerchina Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding on energy storage with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy.

Ding Tao talked about successfully connecting the 230 MW Garadagh solar power plant to the power grid built by a Chinese company in October 2023 and noted that this solar power plant was the largest in Central Asia and the Caucasus: “It has become an exemplary project within the framework of Chinese-Azerbaijani cooperation in green energy”. He added that a 240 MW wind power plant project was currently being implemented.

 

  • The Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) hosted a meeting with a delegation led by Wang Weiwei, the Vice Chairman of China Association for International Economic Cooperation (CAFIEC) who is also the Director of International Investments and Cooperation Committee, Azertac reported on December 24.

A photo from the meeting. Source: Azertac

AZPROMO Executive Director Yusif Abdullayev reiterated AZPROMO’s commitment to fully support the Chinese companies in expanding their activities in Azerbaijan. Wang Weiwei expressed the Chinese side’s interest in participating in the reconstruction works in Azerbaijan’s recently regained territories and establishing regional logistics warehouses in Azerbaijan. They also discussed the opportunities for attracting investments in the pipe industry, sanitary equipment and ceramic products manufacturing in Azerbaijan.

 

Education

The Rector of the Azerbaijan University of Languages Kamal Abdulla met with representatives of the delegation of China participating in the COP29 event, AUL reported on December 6. The delegation included the Deputy Mayor of Huzhou Shi Yiting and other officials.

Kamal Abdulla noted that after the opening of the Confucius Institute at AUL, a center representing Azerbaijani language and culture began operating at Huzhou. The parties also discussed the opportunities for further scientific cooperation and partnership.

 

Georgia-China

Law enforcement cooperation

On December 20, Georgian Dream Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri met with the Ambassador of China Zhou Qian.

A photo from the meeting. Source: Police.ge

Gomelauri’s Deputy Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze also attended the meeting. It’s noteworthy that both were sanctioned by the US and the UK on December 19. The Ambassador congratulated Gomelauri on his appointment and wished him success in his future endeavours. Gomelauri was appointed as “Deputy Prime Minister” by the Georgian Dream Prime Minister on December 20.

According to the Georgian side’s report, the two sides stressed productive foreign-political and commercial-economic relations between Georgia and China. They also noted “the essence of strengthening cooperation in the field of law enforcement”. At the end of the meeting, Gomelauri thanked Zhou “for the firm support” of China to Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and his contribution to the development of relations between the two countries.

According to the Chinese Embassy report, the Ambassador said that “exchanges between law enforcement departments are an important part of China-Georgia cooperation and China is willing to further strengthen pragmatic cooperation with Georgia in areas such as police affairs exchanges and combating transnational crime”.

Gomelauri reportedly “highly appreciated the positive progress made in the strategic partnership between the two countries and expressed a willingness to strengthen bilateral law enforcement exchange and cooperation”. He also briefed Ambassador Zhou on the recent domestic situation in Georgia.

In 2023, by signing a strategic partnership agreement with China, Georgia also supported the Global Security Initiative proposed by China. The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper was released in February 2023. In the document, priorities of cooperation include the following: “Actively conduct law enforcement cooperation on the basis of respecting each country’s sovereignty, so as to jointly improve law enforcement capacity and security governance. Support the establishment of a global training system to train for developing countries more law enforcement officers who are responsive to their countries’ security needs”. Moreover, the platforms and mechanisms of cooperation part says: “China is willing to provide other developing countries with 5,000 training opportunities in the next five years to train professionals for addressing global security issues”.

 

Chinese Ambassador meets with Anti-corruption Bureau Head

On December 4, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian met with the Head of the Anti-corruption Bureau of Georgia Razhden Kuprashvili.

Reportedly, Zhou noted that China was “committed to advancing the rule of law, comprehensively and strictly governing the party, highly attaching importance to international cooperation in the field of combating corruption and willing to strengthen exchanges with the Georgian side on this matter”.

 

Occupied Abkhazia

On November 21, at the so-called Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian-occupied Abkhazian region of Georgia the so-called Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Odissei Bigvava met with “the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Abkhazia in the People’s Republic of China” Ge Zhili.

Bigvava “expressed his respect for China and its people”. He noted that “Abkhazia supports Beijing on the issue of Taiwan and recognizes the sovereignty of China over it”, and expressed hope for a peaceful solution to this issue. He also said that “Abkhazia, like its strategic ally, Russia, like China, stood for an equal and multipolar world”.

Bigvava emphasized that “Abkhazia was open for dialogue and was pleased with initiatives that would lead to the development of cultural and humanitarian ties with China, and also advocated attracting investments for the development of the economy”.

Ge Zhili expressed support for the prospect of cultural and humanitarian cooperation “between Abkhazia and China and expressed hope for further consultations”.

Education:

  • On December 7-9, the President of “the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia” Zurab Dzhapua participated in the International Scientific Conference “Linguistic and Literary Exchanges within the Framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,” organized by the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at the Northwest Minzu University, in Lanzhou, China.

A photo from the event. Source: Akademra

Zurab Dzhapua was invited to this conference by the Center for the Study of the Three Epics “Manas,” “Geser,” and “Djangar” at the Northwest Minzu University of China “as a renowned folklorist and epic specialist”.

Dzhapua and the Director of the Center discussed issues related to scientific collaboration on the study of epic traditions. Reportedly, Dzhapua also met with representatives of the Academy of Social Sciences of China in Beijing, “where they outlined some paths and forms of cooperation between scholars from Abkhazia and China”. The Northwest Minzu University appointed him as a visiting professor for 3 years.

  • It is noteworthy that cooperation in education was activated in 2024. For example, a strategic framework agreement on cooperation was signed between the Abkhaz State University and the Beijing information and consulting company “Eurasia” (China). The document was signed by the Rector of ASU Aleko Gvaramia and Ge Zhili, at that time mentioned as the Chairman of the Board of the Beijing Information and Consulting Company “Eurasia”.

Other recent activities in occupied regions were reported in Spring and Summer.

 

Political cooperation and public messaging

  • The Chinese Ambassador congratulated the Georgian Dream Minister of Foreign Affairs Maia Bochorishvili on her appointment, Interpressnews reported on December 12.

Reportedly, they discussed the potential for deepening cooperation in political, trade and economic fields, tourism, cultural and humanitarian affairs, and people-to-people relations. The parties also discussed ongoing processes and challenges in the wider region. The Ambassador reportedly reaffirmed “China’s unwavering support” for Georgia.

  • On December 2, after the US halted its strategic partnership with Georgia, Georgian Dream’s MP Archil Goduadze addressed “partner countries” calling on them to follow the example of China as an exemplary country for partnership: “After the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement, China has provided direct flights and transportation to our country in the shortest possible time, and the Georgian public has the opportunity to travel freely in China, and a trade agreement has also been signed between them. We expect other partner countries to follow the example of the People’s Republic of China and to replicate the high standard of partnership that we have with China”.

 

Middle Corridor

  • On December 26, BMG reported that Georgian Railways had signed a $17 million contract with the 23rd Bureau of China Railways to complete the process of equipping the 8.3-kilometre tunnel of the new railway line with a security system.
  • On December 3-4, the Working Group on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route/Middle Corridor convened in Tbilisi, Georgia. The meeting was organized by the International Association “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route”.

Reportedly, as of the first 11 months of 2024, 50,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) were transported along the TITR route. Since the beginning of 2024, 328 container trains had been operated along the TITR route, with 304 of them originating from China. According to the report, participants agreed on development plans and projected freight volumes for the upcoming year, with a focus on prioritizing the expansion of services and increasing transit container volumes.

 

Flights

On December 16, Agenda reported that the United Airports of Georgia said that Air China had officially launched operations in the Georgian airline market.

The Head of the Commercial Department of the UAG Vako Chilashvili said the company would operate flights between Urumqi and Tbilisi three times a week, with a potential for increased frequency “based on demand”.

 

Education

On December 19, the Ambassador of Georgia to China Paata Kalandadze met with Angela Lin, the Vice President of the Middle East and Central Asia Region of Huawei.

Reportedly, they discussed “the ongoing fruitful cooperation” between Georgia and Huawei and, in this context, attention was focused on the new project of Huawei which envisages the introduction of special educational programs in the field of information technologies in various higher education institutions of Georgia.

Other activities:

  • A delegation from the Hunan Institute of Science and Technology (HNIST) visited the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University in September. During the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed. The agreement envisions exchange of students and staff, implementation of undergraduate, graduate and other educational programs, and holding joint conferences.
  • In October, China Sichuan’s Southwest Petroleum University representatives visited Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University. The prospects of cooperation were discussed and the signing of a memorandum was planned.
  • In September the Rector of the Georgian Technical University David Gurgenidze met with the delegation of Tianjin University of China. They discussed the prospects for implementing joint educational and scientific projects and the possibilities of future relations.
  • Georgia’s East European University (EEU) participated in the CIFTIS 2024 International Exhibition held in Beijing, China, on September 12-16.