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Georgian Dream Pushes Legislative Crackdown Amidst Political Crisis

Newswire / /

At a recent briefing, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Secretary of the Parliamentary Majority, reaffirmed the ruling party’s intent to tighten legislative controls in response to what he called external interference and manufactured instability. Citing the global USAID scandal and alleged foreign influence, Mdinaradze argued that Georgia must “completely reclaim our country” and prevent outside forces from “keeping our homeland in a permanent state of chaos with non-existent problems and fabricated accusations.”

As part of this agenda, the ruling party has outlined a series of legislative measures to be implemented over the next two months, including:

  1. Tougher Anti-Drug and Juvenile Justice Policies – Stricter penalties for drug use and tighter regulations on juvenile offenders.
  2. Migration Restrictions – Reinforcing control over immigration policies.
  3. NGO Oversight and Foreign Influence Restrictions – (citing) “Norms that provide for the mandatory participation of non-governmental organizations in the process of public decision-making will be removed from absolutely all laws and by-laws.”
  4. Media Regulation – The introduction of a British-style media law to enforce journalistic standards and curb foreign-funded media operations.
  5. Foreign Agent Law Expansion – A new bill mirroring the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), replacing Georgia’s previous, milder version, which, according to Mdinaradze, NGOs have failed to comply with.

Additionally, the government plans to establish a state-managed grant fund for public organizations, aiming to replace foreign funding sources with domestic alternatives.

Mdinaradze also issued a warning against external pressure on Georgia’s political landscape, vowing retaliation against any attempts to interfere in the country’s sovereignty: (citing) “We promise the public that the more pressure, coercion, blackmail, and attempts to encroach on Georgia’s independence, unrest, and chaos in our country, the more severe the response… no one will ever dare to interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs, encroach on its independence, and disrespect the decisions of the Georgian people.”

These measures, framed as efforts to safeguard Georgia’s sovereignty, signal a significant shift towards a more restrictive governance model, further escalating tensions between the ruling party and opposition forces.

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Chinese Economic Plans After the US Tariffs

Newswire / /

After the blow to the economy after the American sanctions, China announced a „special action plan“ to boost consumption.

Notably, other factors, including COVID-19 and the property sector economic downturn, also contribute to the decreased demand for production. Deflation—the constant reduction in prices—plays an additional role. This creates a problem because it pushes consumers to spend less and wait for prices to drop lower.

According to the General Office of the Central Committee, the plan includes a rise in consumption and domestic demand, as well as enhancing consumption abilities by boosting income and pension, bettering health insurance, and reducing burdens. Apart from this, the project includes expanding the tourism sector and aims to turn cold regions into winter tourism destinations. This will be aided by unilateral visa-free programs for certain countries and facilitating entry into the country. According to Chinese officials, despite the plan not having „anything too new“, it has written up specific actions that the local governments should follow.

Fulfilling the announced plan is important in another way, too: it will reduce Chinese dependency on exports and investments and turn the economy into a consumption-driven one.

It is also interesting that the consumption of Russian goods has increased in China – some shops sell sweets or toys made in Russia and present themselves as spreading not only the consumption of Russian goods but also Russian culture. Said shops have turned up in the country after 2022, which could be caused by the warming relations between the two countries after Russia invaded Ukraine.

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Civic IDEA Cited in Table Briefings Article

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Civic IDEA’s Chairperson, Tinatin Khidasheli, has been cited in the article “Geopolitics: How Georgia is Making Itself Dependent on China” by Lisa-Martina Klein, published in Table Briefings. 

The article examines the Georgian Dream government’s increasingly pro-Chinese policy, highlighting its shift away from the country’s original EU integration path. It discusses China’s involvement in major infrastructure projects, including the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, while also addressing the challenges and concerns associated with such engagements.

In the concluding section, the author references Khidasheli’s perspective on Sino-Georgian relations, describing the current ties as being “slave to Beijing.” Emphasizing Georgia’s inevitable trajectory toward the EU, Khidasheli raises concerns over the dominance of Chinese companies in Georgia’s state procurement market, stating:

“The problem we have with China, and as long as this government remains in office, this will continue, is the dominance of Chinese companies in the Georgian state procurement market.”

The full article: Geopolitics: How Georgia is Making Itself Dependent on China.

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Tinatin Khidasheli Cited in a Springer Journal

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Civic IDEA’s Chairperson, Tinatin Khidasheli, has been cited in the article “Hotspot Geopolitics: Political Economy of the Belt and Road Initiative in South Caucasus”, published in Springer’s Chinese Political Science Review journal.

Authored by Mher D. Sahakyan and Kevin Lo, the article explores the geopolitical and geoeconomic opportunities and challenges presented by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the South Caucasus region. It provides an in-depth analysis of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia’s relations with Beijing.

In the case of Georgia, the authors reference Khidasheli’s insights on the Sino-Georgian Strategic Partnership and economic relations.

Full article:  “Hotspot Geopolitics: Political Economy of the Belt and Road Initiative in South Caucasus”.

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Georgian Dream’s Surveillance of Protesters through Chinese Cameras

New, Research / /

Civic IDEA’s new report examines the growing use of Chinese surveillance cameras by the ruling Georgian Dream party in various locations, including near the Parliament building, where peaceful demonstrations continue.

In January and February 2025, the Public Safety Command Center 112 significantly increased its procurement of Chinese surveillance cameras, highlighting a rising trend in the use of such technologies to monitor Georgian citizens engaged in protests.

The report underscores key concerns associated with the use of Chinese surveillance technologies, including their implications for human rights violations.

For further details, please refer to the full report below: 👇

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Chinese nationals could be blocked from US student visas

Newswire / /

The Republicans in the House of Representatives are set to introduce a bill that will restrict Chinese nationals from obtaining American student or research visas.

The initiative is preceded by warnings from a Republican representative, Riley Moore, about the Chinese Communist Party exploiting the visa program. However, Moore is not the only Republican who believes that China uses universities and other academic institutions for espionage. According to Riley Moore, the FBI charged five Chinese nationals with student visas last year after they were caught photographing joint US-Taiwan live-fire military exercises.

Moreover, several American universities have stopped their partnerships with Chinese universities over National Security Concerns.

According to the procedure, the bill should first be adopted by the House of Representatives and later by the Senate, although it has no known co-sponsors at the time. It is expected that this role will be fulfilled by the Texas, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania representatives – Brandon Gill, Andy Ogles, and Scott Perry.

It is also important that the initiative comes after the reports of US President Donald Trump’s administration considering travel bans for the nationals of certain countries, but there are no indications of China being on the list at this time.

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China, Russia, and Iran will hold nuclear talks

Newswire / /

On March 14th, China, Iran, and Russia will hold a meeting about Iran’s nuclear program in Beijing, which will be attended by the deputy Foreign ministers.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry press speaker, the representatives will exchange views on Iran’s nuclear activities and regional security.

The meeting will take place after the UN Security Council gathers in New York to discuss the same matter. Notably, the trilateral talks are preceded by US President Donald Trump’s letter to Tehran, in which he called on Iran to return to the negotiation about its nuclear activity. Apart from this, there were reports about Russia agreeing to aid the United States in communications with Iran, which was followed by a meeting between the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and the Iranian ambassador.

It is noteworthy that Iran’s nuclear program became the center of attention after the IAEA warned of a “dramatic acceleration” of Uranium enrichment by the country.

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Beijing’s Black Sea Push: A New Maritime Frontier

New, Research / /

Georgia is facing its most acute political crisis. Protests have continued for 106 days, with unwavering demands for new elections. However, as global attention remains fixed on broader security challenges, Georgia is receiving relatively less focus than in previous crises. 

The ruling party, Georgian Dream, sees this as an opportunity to push forward its hidden deals – including the attempted sale of the Anaklia Port to China. Our latest research, Beijing’s Black Sea Push: A New Maritime Frontier, delves into the implications of this shift. With Georgia’s strategic location at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the Anaklia port is poised to become a crucial hub for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, potentially reshaping regional trade and security dynamics. The consequences for Western engagement, economic leverage, and geopolitical stability are significant. This issue is too important to ignore.

Read our full report to understand how these developments affect Georgia’s future and the broader balance of power in the region:

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China Imposes Retaliatory Tariffs on Canada

Newswire / /

In response to the tariffs on Chinese electric cars and steel implemented in October, Beijing has announced new tariffs on Canada. These tariffs will affect over $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural and food products starting on March 20.

Beijing’s decision to impose retaliatory measures followed an anti-dumping investigation, which found that Canada’s restrictive measures against certain Chinese products had disrupted normal trade and harmed the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese businesses.

On the other hand, Canada stated that the tariffs on Chinese goods were implemented after the United States and the European Union took similar actions against Chinese electric cars and other products. Western governments argue that China’s subsidies provide its industry with an unfair advantage, which is why these measures are deemed necessary.

Analysts indicate that China delayed response to Ottawa’s October tariffs likely reflects both capacity constraints and a strategic approach. The Ministry of Commerce is currently under pressure while managing ongoing trade disputes with the United States and the European Union, which has pushed Canada lower on its priority list. Consequently, it has taken months for China to address Canada’s tariffs.

China remains Canada’s second-largest trading partner, following the United States. According to Chinese customs data, Canada exported $47 billion worth of goods to China in 2024, underscoring the importance of this bilateral trade relationship.

Author: Liza Barbakadze

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Tinatin Khidasheli Speaks at the Paris Security and Strategy Forum

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The chairwomen of “Civic IDEA” Tinatin Khidasheli participated in the Paris Security and Strategy Forum as a speaker on the panel “The Black Sea: Between Conflicts and EU Enlargement Perspectives.”

Her speech addressed Georgia’s role in the region, highlighting the relocation of the Russian fleet to Ochamchire in occupied Abkhazia and the potential Chinese takeover of the Anaklia deep-sea port. She also raised concerns about the Georgian Dream government’s growing alignment with Russia, questioning whether Tbilisi risks becoming a Russian puppet regime.

The forum, which explored Europe’s evolving defense and security architectures, focused on key transformations in transatlantic relations, NATO-EU cooperation, and Europe’s geopolitical role amid ongoing conflicts. Discussions covered the impact of the war in Ukraine, the need for a stronger European defense industry, and the new challenges posed by cyber warfare, disinformation, and strategic influence.

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