Chinese Ambassador: China-Georgia partnership free of political condition

Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday said that China-Georgia relations were guided by mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutually beneficial cooperation, emphasising that China does not impose political conditions or require countries to choose between partners.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Zhou addressed concerns raised in Georgia and Western circles about potential risks of political or strategic dependence from deeper economic ties with China.

“China and Georgia are geographically distant and differ significantly in population size, political systems, economic models, and many other aspects. However, the principles we follow in developing China-Georgia relations are mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutually beneficial cooperation. For us, what matters is the prosperity of both countries and their peoples, not ideology or choosing between sides. China does not link foreign economic and trade cooperation or foreign assistance to political conditions, and it never requires Georgia to abandon its own goals or independent policies when developing relations with China”, he said.

He pointed to ongoing high-level exchanges on governance experience in areas such as financial innovation, internet regulation, protection of minors and ethnic minorities, and environmental improvement.

“China has always supported the view that all countries should follow a development path suited to their national conditions and the needs of their people, and has promoted mutual respect and learning among nations. In recent years, the governments of China and Georgia have maintained close communication at all levels. Both sides have exchanged governance experience on topics such as financial innovation, internet regulation, protection of minors and ethnic minorities, and environmental improvement, which is important for addressing new development challenges for both countries”, Zhou noted.

The Ambassador described accusations of dependence as reflecting biased thinking and ill intentions rather than reality.

“A view on any issue is like a mirror reflecting a person’s thinking. Therefore, the claim that deepening cooperation with China will lead to Georgia’s dependence on China and affect its foreign policy priorities is not only unsubstantiated, but also accurately reflects the dark thinking and ill intentions of certain individuals”, Zhou concluded.