Reportage From The GLOBSEC 2024 Forum
Chairwoman of Civic IDEA, Tinatin Khidasheli is attending GLOBSEC 2024. This prestigious event serves as a critical platform for addressing key global challenges.
Česká Televize has featured Tinatin in a special reportage covering the forum.
Watch the reportage and the interview here:
Reportage From The GLOBSEC 2024 Forum Read More »
China’s expanding footprint in Eurasia; Geopolitics, Trade and Environmental Implications
Civic IDEA is pleased to share the 3rd volume of the collection of articles “China’s Expanding Footprint in Eurasia: Geopolitics, Trade and Environmental Implications”. The collection of articles features the insights of authors, incorporating perspectives and comprehensive views on China’s expanding influence in Central Asia and beyond, shedding light on the complexities and consequences of this dynamic on local and international scales. These articles delve into various aspects of China’s influence and regional dynamics:
√ Bernadett Szel – “Chinese Influence in Hungary” – This article explores how China’s economic and political presence has grown in Hungary, analyzing the strategies employed by China to establish and expand its influence within the country. Szelexamines the implications of this influence on Hungary’s domestic and foreign policies.
√ Tatyana Sedova – “China’s influence in critical minerals (CM) development in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan” – Sedova delves into China’s role in the critical minerals sector of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. She discusses how China’s investment and involvement in the development of these minerals are reshaping the industry and affecting the economic and geopolitical landscape of the region.
√ Olzhas Zhorayev – “Perception of China in Central Asian Countries: Trends and Comparative Analysis” – Zhorayevprovides a comparative analysis of how China is perceived across various Central Asian countries. The article identifies trends in public opinion and governmental stances towards China, offering insights into the factors that shape these perceptions and their potential impact on regional cooperation and policy-making.
√ Fuad Shahbazov – “The increasing role of the Middle Corridor in East-West Trade: What Role for Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Partnership?” – Shahbazov’s article focuses on the Middle Corridor, a key trade route connecting East and West through Central Asia. He examines the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in enhancing the corridor’s efficiency and competitiveness and how this partnership is influenced by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
√ Vadim Ni – “Will BRI affect public environmental rights in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan?” – The article investigates the environmental implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The article addresses concerns about how increased infrastructure projects and economic activities under the BRI might impact public environmental rights and local ecosystems, proposing measures to mitigate potential adverse effects.
For more information, see the attachment below
Opinion | Georgia’s one-sided relationship with China comes with significant risks
The Georgian Government has increasingly moved to strengthen relations with China, hailing the economic potential of the partnership including high-profile infrastructure projects. But despite the optimism, the relationship has so far remained almost entirely one-sided, and in fact, opens the country up to substantial new risks.
Georgia’s foreign strategic alignment has been profoundly influenced by its geopolitical location, historical context, and aspirations for closer integration with Western institutions such as NATO and the European Union. However, in recent years, China has emerged as a significant player in Georgia’s foreign policy landscape. The two nations have actively sought to strengthen their political relations through a series of high-level visits and agreements, with Chinese initiatives in Georgia progressing at a remarkable pace, marked by significant expansions occurring almost monthly.
A pivotal moment in Sino-Georgian relations was the issuance of the Strategic Cooperation Statement on 31 July 2023, which heralded a new era of bilateral collaboration. The visit of then–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili to China in 2023 culminated in this strategic partnership statement aimed at bolstering policy coordination and collaboration on regional and international affairs.
This partnership has been perceived as a strategic manoeuvre by China to expand its influence in the South Caucasus, a region traditionally regarded by Moscow as within its sphere of influence. The China-Georgia partnership can thus be viewed as part of a larger geopolitical shift in the region.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the resulting geopolitical realignments have heightened the strategic importance of the South Caucasus. China’s involvement in Georgia could potentially reshape regional dynamics, particularly as it seeks to develop alternative trade routes that bypass Russia, exemplified by projects such as the Middle Corridor, which links China to Europe via Central Asia and the Caucasus.
But despite the deepening Sino-Georgian relationship since 2016, there is no significant economic activity that might be relied upon to reshape the existing dynamics. The progress and developments thus far have been largely one-sided, and the prospects for Georgia’s flagship project for the Middle Corridor, the Anaklia Deep-Sea Port, are not very promising.
And despite few gains, there are several concerns: from foreign policy to economic collaboration, with the cooperation appearing to be overwhelmingly China-centred in various ways.
Link 👇
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Impact of Chinese Investment in Anaklia: Strategic Implications for Georgia and Europe
On May 29, 2024, the Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Levan Davitashvili, announced that the public-private partnership selection process winner for Anaklia port development will be a Chinese-Singaporean consortium. This decision marks a significant shift in Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and raises security concerns due to the geopolitical implications of increased Chinese involvement.
CHOICE (China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe) reached out to Civic IDEA to provide expert analysis on the implications of the Anaklia Sea Port project for Georgia and Europe. Lawyer/Researcher Ketevan Gelashvili and researcher Aksana Akhmedova from Civic IDEA have prepared an in-depth article examining every crucial detail on this subject.
Full Link 👇
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Georgia’s Investment Landscape: Comparative Analysis of Chinese and Western Investments (2018-2023)
We are pleased to announce the release of our report, “Georgia’s Investment Landscape: Comparative Analysis of Chinese and Western Investments (2018-2023)”.
This report uncovers the actual extent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) investments in Georgia from 2018 to early 2024, demonstrating that Beijing’s economic engagement is significantly less than officially claimed, with investments not exceeding 700 million USD since 2010. The comparative analysis reveals that countries such as the USA, UK, and Netherlands have exhibited substantial and increasing investments in Georgia, particularly in the post-pandemic period. Notably, even EU member countries with smaller economies, such as Malta, have shown a more pronounced increase in their foreign direct investments in Georgia compared to the PRC’s FDI rate.
Read the full report for a clear picture of foreign investment dynamics in Georgia. 👇