Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, paid an official visit to China on April 21-25. Meetings held in Beijing focused on expanding Georgia-China economic cooperation.
As part of the visit, Kvrivishvili met China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao on April 22. The two sides signed a protocol amending the Georgia-China Free Trade Agreement, aimed at adapting the deal to the modern trade environment, clarifying existing areas of cooperation, and adding new directions.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, Kvrivishvili described cooperation with China as a priority for the Georgian government and expressed interest in expanding ties in agriculture, oil and gas development, automobile manufacturing, port infrastructure, and tourism.
One of the key topics of the visit was transport and logistics infrastructure. On April 23, Kvrivishvili met Zhou Haibin, deputy chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission. According to Georgia’s Economy Ministry, the parties agreed to establish a dialogue mechanism that would help attract Chinese investment to Georgia, particularly in the transport and logistics sectors.
During the same meeting, the sides discussed the Middle Corridor and Georgia’s role as a transit country connecting China and Europe. In this context, the Anaklia port was identified as a strategic project of importance not only for Georgia-China cooperation, but also for partner countries along the Middle Corridor.
The Anaklia port issue was also addressed by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze ahead of the visit. Responding to a journalist’s question about amendments to the free trade agreement between Georgia and China, he said:
“All issues will be discussed, including the Anaklia issue. Naturally, this is also one of the goals of this visit. Negotiations are continuing”.
The Anaklia deep-sea port is considered one of Georgia’s most important strategic and infrastructure projects. In 2024, a Chinese-Singaporean consortium submitted the final proposal in the process of selecting a private partner for the project, although no official update on an agreement has been released so far.
A practical outcome of the visit emerged in the aviation sector. Following Kvrivishvili’s meeting with representatives of China Eastern Airlines, the airline will launch direct Shanghai-Tbilisi-Shanghai flights three times a week starting July 15.
At the same time, the Georgian delegation discussed with China Southern Airlines the possibility of launching direct flights from Beijing to Tbilisi and from other Chinese cities to Georgia. The meetings also focused on cargo transportation, including the development of a regional cargo hub within the framework of the Middle Corridor and possible access for China Southern Cargo to Georgia’s transport infrastructure.
Alongside aviation, energy issues were also discussed during the visit. In Beijing, Kvrivishvili met Wang Yutao, chairman of China ZhenHua Oil, where the parties discussed opportunities for oil and gas exploration in Georgia. The Chinese side expressed interest in investing in Georgia’s energy sector.
Kvrivishvili also met Chen Huanlong, chairman of Geo-Jade Petroleum Corporation. According to Georgia’s Economy Ministry, the Georgian side presented the country’s investment environment to the company, while the Chinese side expressed interest in the oil and gas sector.
In the technology and digital economy sectors, Kvrivishvili met a representative of Xiaomi Corporation and offered the company the opportunity to establish a CKD production facility in Georgia and use the country as a regional logistics platform.
Kvrivishvili also met Zhuang Rongwen, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China. The sides discussed Georgia’s role as a digital transit hub connecting Asia and Europe, the development of data centers, and opportunities for the use of artificial intelligence.
The planned direct flights and ongoing negotiations in the energy and technology sectors are aimed at deepening economic cooperation with China. The next stage of the process will depend on the practical implementation of the initiatives discussed by the two sides.
