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 China |  Georgia |
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Diplomatic relations between thePeople's Republic of China andGeorgia were established on 9 June 1992. Since then, bilateral ties have advanced gradually and mostly focused on economic cooperation. China has an embassy inTbilisi, and Georgia has an embassy inBeijing. By 2017, China had become Georgia's fourth largest trading partner and the second largest exporting market for Georgian wine.[1] China has been appreciative of Georgia's commitment toOne-China policy. To maintain balanced relations with both Georgia and Russia, China does not recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Currently, China relies on Georgia and its infrastructure for theChina–Central Asia–West Asia Economic Corridor, which traverses the South Caucasus, linking China with Europe. As a result, China is cautious in its approach to South Caucasian geopolitics, striving to develop connections with all regional players and effectively implement its geostrategy.[2] Georgia, for its part, has been increasingly attractive for China as a transportation hub and one of the shortest routes for Chinese goods on their way to theEuropean Union.[3] In 2023, China and Georgia formed a strategic partnership.[4]
TheYuan Shi, the official history of theYuan dynasty of China, records the fate of Georgia in 1252. In that year, the Mongol khaganMöngke, whowas expanding into China, granted theKingdom of Georgia, which was then under Mongol control, toBerke.Chu'ü-erh-chih ([tɕʰỳ ǎɚʈʂɻ̩ɨ̀];Chinese:曲兒只), the Chinese name used for Georgia in theYuan Shi, is etymologically the same as "Georgia".[5][6]
The China–Georgia relations were officially established on 9 June 1992, when China extended its diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Georgia after thedissolution of the Soviet Union.[7]Eduard Shevardnadze, then Georgia's head of state, paid a state visit to China in June 1993[8] and signed several agreements, principally on economic and trade cooperation.Mikheil Saakashvili, the then-President of Georgia, was in China on an official visit in April 2006.[9]
The two countries maintained communication and coordination at theUnited Nations and other international organizations. Georgia follows theone China principle, and recognizesgovernment of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China and Taiwan as "an inalienable part" of China.[10].[11] In its turn, China, member of theShanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), refused to follow the suit ofRussia, a fellow SCO member, in recognition of the independence of Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the aftermath of the August 2008Russo–Georgian War despite the appeal by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Instead, the SCO issued the Dushanbe Declaration, calling on all parties to solve the "existing problems" through diplomacy.[7] Similarly, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman expressed the agency's concern due to the "latest development in South Ossetia and Abkhazia", responding to a journalist's question regarding China's position on Russia's recognition of the disputed territories.[7] In the view of the political analyst Joseph Larsen, "while China does not present an alternative toNATO andEU integration... relations with China have the potential to complement Georgia's existing foreign policy."[12]
Bilateral economic ties have gradually expanded since 1992 and witnessed further growth beginning in 2010 as Georgia's economy recovered from the 2008 war. China views Georgia as part of theOne Belt One Road Initiative, a project it launched in 2013 to "shorten the distance between China and Europe" through improved infrastructure connections.[12][13] By 2014, China had accounted for $217.94 million inforeign direct investment in Georgia, putting it in fourth place afterAzerbaijan, theNetherlands, and theUnited States.[7]
A number of Chinese companies have launched major operations in Georgia. China'sHualing Group, mainly focused on construction and management of hotels and trade centers, was Georgia's single largest foreign investor as of 2017. Some of the company's projects in Georgia include the Hualinge HualingFree Industrial Zone[14]: 111 inKutaisi, Georgia's second largest city. The Hualinge Hualing Free Industrial zone is an important hub for Chinese manufacturers to access the European market.[14]: 111 Hualing Group has also built a large residential and commercial complex in a suburb of the capital city ofTbilisi.
In January 2017, theCEFC China Energy agreed to purchase 75% of shares in the Free Industrial Zone atPoti on Georgia'sBlack Sea coastline. Georgia's main export product to China is wine, which amounted to 5,299,820 bottles in 2016, nearly double the amount exported in the previous year.[15] In addition to wine, other significant exports from Georgia to China include copper ore and copper products.[14]: 111 Significant Chinese exports to Georgia include mechanical products, electrical products, and steel.[14]: 111
On 13 May 2017, China and Georgia signed afree trade agreement.[16]
In June 2023,Georgia passed a bill to allowChinese citizens to travel toGeorgia without avisa, further improving relations and diplomatic ties between two nations.Xi Jinping, theGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party met with the GeorgianPrime Minister,Irakli Garibashvili, discussing improvements ineconomic ties and marking "new stage" in relations between the two countries.[17]
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