Azerbaijan-China: 30 years of cooperation that can become an example for the world

April 2 marked the 30th anniversary of relations between Azerbaijan and China. This significant date is celebrated by two countries as both have achieved a lot of success, seen projects implemented and drawn up plans for the future.

Azerbaijan and China really have something to celebrate on this anniversary. As Chinese President Xi Jinping said China-Azerbaijan relations have maintained a sound and steady momentum of development, adding that their political mutual trust has been deepening, cooperation in various fields is moving forward with substantial progress, and their collaboration in global and regional affairs is growing increasingly close.

Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev has taken historic steps in the development of relations between the two countries. After his election as president in 1993, Aliyev designated China as a country whose visit was a priority. A special place in Azerbaijan's foreign policy has always been occupied by the strategy of strengthening traditionally friendly relations with China. And this is not surprising - our countries and peoples have been on the Silk Road since ancient times and have been cooperating since ancient times. That is why Aliyev made one of his first visits to China.

The first state visit of the president of Azerbaijan in 1994 to China opened a new page in the history of the Azerbaijani-Chinese friendship and cooperation. During this historic visit, a large package of significant documents was signed providing for cooperation in various fields. Chief among them was the Joint Statement on the Foundations of Friendly Relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Azerbaijan. In the statement, the parties pledged to develop relations of friendship and cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, as well as peaceful coexistence.

Aliyev continues this line, also paying great attention to the development of relations with China. Strong contacts have been established between Azerbaijan and China based on mutual understanding and mutual sympathy between the states and peoples.

Over the past years, Aliyev has visited China many times to participate in international events: in August 2008 to participate in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics; in May 2014 to participate in the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia; in April 2019 to participate in the Second Forum of Belt and Road Initiative. In addition, the Azerbaijani leader has made two state visits to Beijing - in March 2005 and December 2015.

Of particular importance in terms of the development of bilateral ties was the official visit of Aliyev to Beijing in March 2005. During the visit, a political declaration was signed regulating political relations between the two countries, agreements in the field of economic, legal, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. During the state visit to Beijing on December 8-11, 2015, Aliyev signed a joint statement in which the parties decided to further develop the existing relations of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

From the very beginning, China has been considered in Azerbaijan as a reliable and promising partner, a friendly state, and they have been following its progress with interest. The Chinese partners have never failed this trust. Let us recall the assistance provided to Azerbaijan by the Chinese side during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the help was free. Cooperation between the two countries today, when the world has emerged from the pandemic, has received a second wind and is developing in almost all areas, including in areas such as oil production, information and communications, construction and building materials, etc.

China is now one of the leading countries in the world in terms of economy. Large-scale programs and infrastructure projects implemented under the leadership of the Communist Party of China serve to increase the economic power of the country.

Azerbaijan was one of the first to gladly join the Belt and Road Initiative and is now an indispensable link in it. Azerbaijan supported the initiative not only in words but also in deeds. Thus, Azerbaijan independently implemented large-scale transport and infrastructure projects, including the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Baku International Sea Trade Port, connected to the Trans-Caspian transport route. And today, the initiative includes the launch of the Zangezur Corridor, which will become a link between various links on the route   the new Silk Road and provide the shortest and most convenient alternative route for transporting goods from China to the West.

In general, one of the most important areas of Azerbaijani-Chinese cooperation is working together in the transport and logistics sector. Azerbaijan, as an important transit point on the route of the new Silk Road, today plays a special role in cargo transportation between Asia and Europe. Within the framework of the agreement reached between theMinistry of Economy of Azerbaijan and the Chinese Xi’an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co, regular container transportation from China to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey will be carried out during 2022.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan’s cooperation with Chinese companies gained a wider scope after an agreement on strategic cooperation in the transport and transit sector was signed with Azerbaijan Railways CJSC in April 2019 in Beijing as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

At present, there are 195 Chinese companies registered in Azerbaijan, engaged in trade, agriculture, transport, communications and other fields. Recently, the Chinese company BYD made a proposal to establish an enterprise in Azerbaijan to assemble electric buses, hybrid and electric cars. Chinese entrepreneurs show great interest in working in industrial parks and agricultural parks in Azerbaijan. In addition, the Chinese side is interested in building industrial parks in our country. At the end of last year, the "Trade Department of Azerbaijan" was opened in the G-Hub shopping center in Wuhan (Hubei province), which will sell food industry products manufactured in Azerbaijan under the "Made in Azerbaijan" brand.

It should be noted that in accordance with the agreement reached between the trade representation of Azerbaijan in China and the leadership of the Chinese company Greenland Group in 2018, Azerbaijani trade units will also work in G-Hub shopping centers opened in different cities of China. The Trade Department in Wuhan is the fourth, the "Azerbaijan Trade Department" is already operating in Shanghai, Harbin and Jingnan.

In addition, there is a trade representation at the Azerbaijani embassy in China, Azerbaijani trading houses operate in Luzhou, Liyanyuan and Qingdao, and three wine houses of Azerbaijan operate in Urumqi and Shanghai. Thanks to these measures, in recent years, trade between the two countries has increased significantly. Due to the pandemic and the global crisis in 2021, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and China slightly fell, but it is still approached around $2 billion.

Many Chinese companies have already expressed their interest in participating in the work on the liberated lands of Azerbaijan, in particular in the creation of industries in industrial parks, in reconstruction work. For example, Huawei is taking part in projects to create "smart cities" in Karabakh.

In a word, there is more than enough space for bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and the prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and China are the most favorable. Three decades is a short time, and the full potential is still ahead.

Seymur Mammadov is the director of the international expert club EurAsiaAz and editor-in-chief of Azerbaijan's news agency Vzglyad.az.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

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