Announced in 2013 by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is an international infrastructure project comprising energy, transportation, digital networks and trade projects and spanning some 68 countries.[i] The Belt and Road Initiative is a relatively new name. Initially referred to as two separate projects, it was later renamed the “One Belt, One Road” initiative and finally the name Belt and Road Initiative was adopted.[ii] The reason why this great initiative is called the “Belt and Road” is that it provides transportation by land and sea. The route over land is called the “belt” and the route over the sea is called the “road”.
The Belt and Road Initiative, which is a more comprehensive and developed version of the Silk Road, a historically important trade route between Europe and Asia, plans to create a bilateral corridor between the three continents by both sea and land.
The Belt and Road Initiative can be characterized as an international initiative as well as a regional initiative to expand cooperation with Eurasian and African countries. The South Caucasus, which connects east and west and north and south on the Silk Road, is also an important region for the Belt and Road Initiative. China has great potential for cooperation with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia in this region.
First of all, Azerbaijan is a country rich in natural resources. Therefore, Azerbaijan is a country of both regional and global importance. China’s interest in Azerbaijan stems from the fact that it is trying to develop a railway line from China to Europe. Therefore, due to its geographical location, it serves as a bridge for cooperation between Europe and Asia. The route through Azerbaijan aims to ensure a safer transportation of China’s goods.[iii] Furthermore, according to 2019 data, Azerbaijan accounts for 50% of China’s trade with the South Caucasus.[iv] In this context, it can be stated that Azerbaijan supports the Belt and Road Initiative.[v]
Georgia, another South Caucasus country, is less dependent on road corridors under the Belt and Road Initiative as it has the capacity to access global markets through its own ports.[vi] Due to its location, Georgia plays the role of a transit country for trade flows and projects in the South Caucasus.
The reason why Georgia is important for China is that it shortens the transportation distance to Europe and naturally reduces the transportation time.[vii] Georgia’s position is crucial for China to bypass Russia in its trade with Europe.
Moreover, since it is seen as the closest Western country to Europe among the countries in the region, it stands out among the South Caucasus countries within the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative. Likewise, it is seen that Georgia supports this initiative. This is because the initiative serves Georgia’s economic and social development.
Ultimately, Armenia is a landlocked country with more limited trade and transportation networks compared to Azerbaijan and Georgia. Therefore, Yerevan has turned to China, becoming one of Beijing’s critical partners in the process. In other words, Armenia’s diplomatic isolation has led it to rapprochement with China.
The Central Corridor also provides significant gains for Azerbaijan and Georgia through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line, which is considered part of the Belt and Road Initiative.[viii] In addition, the Silk Road Economic Belt Memorandum of Understanding should be mentioned. In this sense, Georgia was the first country in the South Caucasus to sign the memorandum with Beijing. The country signed the MoU in March 2015, followed by Armenia in August 2015 and Azerbaijan in December 2015.
As a result, it is seen that cooperation with the South Caucasus countries has been developed within the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative. It is clear that the implementation of this initiative in the South Caucasus has significant benefits. First of all, considering the advantages of geographical location, it is seen that the transportation route to Europe and the transportation time are shortened. Secondly, the investment climate in the region provides an advantage for the initiative. Another important advantage is that the security situation in the region is favorable and controllable. Finally, the fact that China has not historically had any problems with the countries in the region facilitates the development of cooperation.
[i] “Kuşak ve Yol Girişiminin Geleceği: Çin Karakterli Bir Küreselleşme mi?”, Anadolu Ajansı, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/analiz/kusak-ve-yol-girisiminin-gelecegi-cin-karakterli-bir-kuresellesme-mi/2083696, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[ii] “What is China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)?”, Chathamhouse, https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/09/what-chinas-belt-and-road-initiative-bri, (Date of Accession: 23.02.2023).
[iii] Serdar Yılmaz, “Bir Kuşak Bir Yol Projesinin Azerbaycan, Kazakistan ve Türkiye’ye Etkisi”, Uluslararası Toplum Araştırmaları Dergisi, 16(32), 2020.
[iv] Aynı yer.
[v] “South Caucasus and Central Asia: Belt and Road Initiative- Azerbaijan Country Case Study”, World Bank, 2019, s. 6.
[vi] “South Caucasus and Central Asia: Belt and Road Initiative- Georgia Country Case Study ”, World Bank, 2019, s.7.
[vii] Diren Şahin, “Çin Politikalarında Kafkasya’daki Partneri: Gürcistan”, Sodip, https://www.sodip.org.tr/cin-politikalarinin-kafkasyadaki-partneri-gurcistan/, (Date of Accession: 06.03.2023).
[viii] Filiz Kutluay Tutar vd., “Çin’in Yeni İpek Yolu Projesi: Bir Kuşak Bir Yol”, Journal Of Social, Humanities and Administrative Sciences, 5(17), 2019, s. 619-626.