Chinese Ambassador highlights shared values of peace and development in China-Georgia ties

Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday said that China and Georgia were ancient civilisations that value peace and development and build a strategic partnership based on mutual respect and equality, emphasising the two countries’ shared commitment to sovereignty, international law, and multilateralism.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Zhou addressed the broader international context, describing the current global situation as unstable.

“The current global situation is unstable. Hegemonism has had a serious impact on the post-World War II international order and the norms of international relations, and the world faces a real risk of reverting to the law of the jungle”, he said.

The Ambassador criticised attempts by some countries to bypass the United Nations under the banner of a so-called “rules-based international order”, arguing that such approaches weaken global stability and contradict the principles of international law.

“Recent statements made at the Davos Forum have revealed that some countries, under the guise of a rules-based international order, are bypassing the United Nations and creating their own systems, employing hegemonic and neo-imperialist practices, and returning to the colonial-era mentality of the survival of the strongest. This undermines global peace and stability and runs counter to the trend of historical development; it will never gain the support of the people”, he noted.

He reaffirmed that respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in internal affairs - enshrined in the UN Charter - remained the cornerstone of international relations.

“Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every state and non-interference in their internal affairs, as stipulated in the UN Charter, are fundamental principles of international relations. Taiwan’s return to China is an important part of the outcomes of World War II and the postwar international order. The One China Principle is a universal consensus of the international community, including Georgia, and a universally recognised fundamental norm of international relations”, the Ambassador said.

Zhou highlighted that both China and Georgia possessed ancient civilisations with long traditions of valuing peace, development, and stability.

“China and Georgia are both ancient civilisations that value peace and development, as well as strategic partners that have always respected and treated each other as equals”, he noted.

He stressed that China was ready to continue close cooperation with Georgia, ensuring firm mutual support on issues of core national interest.

“China appreciates Georgia’s long-standing commitment to the One China Principle and is ready to work with Georgia to continue firm mutual support in safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity, strengthen mutual trust through cooperation, and take concrete steps to uphold the UN-centered international system, the international order based on international law, and the fundamental norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China is ready to work together with Georgia to build a community with a shared future for mankind”, Zhou concluded.