Chinese company to build section of Tbilisi bypass road for GEL 499 million
1 September
China Railway Tunnel Group will build the 7.3-kilometre Tsitsamuri-Avchala section of the Tbilisi bypass highway. On 1 September, the company was named the winner of the international tender announced by the Roads Department.
The contract is worth approximately GEL 499.1 million, with 36 months allocated for completion. The project includes the construction of a four-lane road, two parallel tunnels approximately 3.4 kilometres long, bridges and interchanges.
Ten companies participated in the tender. The winning company initially bid GEL 519.7 million, but the final contract value was reduced. The Tsitsamuri-Avchala section will eventually connect to the 22.5-kilometre Avchala-Airport road.
Mikheil Kavelashvili awards former Chinese ambassador the Order of the Golden Fleece
2 September
On 2 September, Mikheil Kavelashvili awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece to Zhou Qian, China’s former ambassador to Georgia, in recognition of his work and personal contribution to strengthening relations between the two countries.
Kavelashvili highlighted the development of bilateral relations during the former ambassador’s tenure and expressed hope that the comprehensive strategic partnership between Georgia and China would deepen further.
Dai Chunyong, chargé d’affaires ad interim at the Chinese Embassy, accepted the award on Zhou Qian’s behalf. According to the embassy, he thanked the Georgian side and said the embassy would continue implementing the agreements reached by the two countries’ leaders and working to strengthen practical cooperation.
Georgian ambassador discusses cooperation with Cathay Pacific
3 September
On 3 September, Georgia’s ambassador to China, Paata Kalandadze, hosted a delegation from Cathay Pacific. According to the Georgian Embassy, the two sides discussed the airline’s cooperation with Georgia.
The delegation was led by Michael Xiong, the company’s general manager for mainland China. Cathay Pacific was founded in Hong Kong 80 years ago. The Georgian Embassy described it as one of the world’s largest and most successful airlines.
Azerbaijan and China sign memorandum on cooperation between prosecution services
31 August
On 31 August in Baku, Azerbaijan’s prosecutor general, Kamran Aliyev, and the procurator general of China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ying Yong, signed a memorandum of cooperation.
The document provides for stronger legal assistance in criminal cases, exchanges of experience among prosecutors, training programmes and joint seminars. The two sides also discussed combating transnational crime and cybersecurity issues.
During the visit, the Chinese delegation met with the speaker of Azerbaijan’s parliament, Sahiba Gafarova, and the chairman of the Supreme Court, Inam Karimov. President Ilham Aliyev also hosted the delegation on 2 September. At that meeting, cooperation between legislative, law enforcement and judicial institutions was discussed as one area of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China.
37 Baku Engineering University students to continue their studies in China
31 August
On 31 August, 37 students from Baku Engineering University departed for China to continue their studies at Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Their departure was part of the two universities’ joint dual-degree programme.
Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, the students will complete the third and fourth years of their undergraduate studies in Beijing. Launched in 2025, the programme follows a “2+2” model: students spend their first two years in Baku and the next two in Beijing.
The programme covers six fields: chemical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, biotechnology and business administration. Graduates who fulfil the programme’s requirements will receive degrees from both universities.
Pashinyan discusses strategic relations with China in the context of Armenia’s foreign policy
1 September
On 1 September, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan spoke about strategic relations with China at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s “SCO+” meeting in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
He named China among the countries with which Armenia has established strategic ties in recent years and discussed this cooperation in the context of the country’s balanced foreign policy. Pashinyan explained that developing relations with different powers serves to preserve Armenia’s sovereignty and independence.
In his address, the Armenian prime minister also highlighted the opening of regional transport links and said Armenia was working with Azerbaijan and Türkiye on this issue, including through the TRIPP project. He said bringing these links into operation would create new transport opportunities along both east-west and south-north routes.
Kazakhstan seeks to host development bank headquarters
1 September
On 1 September, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, supported China’s initiative to establish a development bank for the organization. He also expressed readiness to host the bank’s headquarters in Kazakhstan.
Tokayev said the bank’s financial resources should primarily be used to fund infrastructure, technology and industrial projects. To expand economic cooperation, the president also proposed that member states establish border trade zones and introduce a unified digital platform for transit freight. He also spoke about the need to develop the organization’s transport connectivity strategy through 2035.
Tokayev names logistics and technology as priorities for cooperation with China
1 September
In a written interview released on 1 September, Kazakhstan’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, highlighted the importance of the Middle Corridor in cooperation with China. In the interview with the Chinese news agency Xinhua, he discussed prospects for cooperation in transport and technology.
Tokayev emphasized the importance of developing new railway lines, logistics terminals and border infrastructure. He said that making the route more competitive required digital document processing, coordination between information systems and the automation of customs procedures.
The president identified artificial intelligence, production automation, e-commerce, scientific research and workforce training as potential areas of cooperation with Chinese companies. Referring to earlier meetings in Shanghai, he said both sides had shown interest in implementing joint projects in these fields. In Tokayev’s view, technological cooperation could become an important area of relations between Kazakhstan and China.
