Azerbaijan – China: Partnership without bounds Article by Global Times

The Chinese newspaper Global Times has published an article by Liu Xin and Shen Sheng dedicated to the state visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to China. Caliber.Az offers its readers selected excerpts from this material.

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Beijing on April 23. The two leaders announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. 

During the meeting, Xi said that both sides should continuously enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and strengthen international collaboration to open a new chapter of all-round cooperation. He added that China supports Azerbaijan in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in continuing to follow a development path that suits its national conditions.

China is willing to carry out in-depth law enforcement and security cooperation with Azerbaijan to resolutely combat the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism, Xi said.

He called on both sides to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and encourage educational, cultural, tourism, youth and sub-national cooperation.

After the talks, the two heads of state signed a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and witnessed the signing of 20 documents on cooperation in areas such as the Belt and Road Initiative, justice, green development, digital economy, intellectual property rights and aerospace.

The establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries is a natural progression, Chinese observers said. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Azerbaijan has supported China on issues concerning its core interests, and the two countries share similar or aligned positions on many international matters. With strong complementarities across various sectors, the foundation for deeper cooperation is solid. This upgrade reflects the joint efforts of the two countries and serves the shared interests of the people, Zhu Yongbiao, executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times.

China has prioritized development in sectors such as digital technology and green development in recent years, and countries like Azerbaijan also view them as key focuses for development, Zhu said. 

The two sides are highly complementary in these fields, with China offering advanced technologies, extensive experience and a well-developed industrial chain. China is also willing to share its expertise and solutions with Azerbaijan and other partners to promote joint development and the broader adoption of relevant technologies and products, the expert said. 

As a key hub along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, or Middle Corridor, Azerbaijan plays a vital role in linking China and Europe. The newly signed documents include infrastructure cooperation to enhance the efficiency of the China-Europe land-sea route while advancing logistics standardization and improving cross-border customs procedures to facilitate trade, Sun Xiuwen, an associate professor at the Institute for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University told the Global Times.

Azerbaijan's successful hosting of the COP29 climate conference in November 2024 highlights its growing role in global climate governance. Looking ahead, China-Azerbaijan cooperation is expected to focus on emerging sectors such as low-carbon development, the digital economy and smart infrastructure, with joint efforts in advancing green technologies, Sun said. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Zhao Leji also met with President Aliyev separately.

Also on April 23, China and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on mutual visa exemptions for ordinary passport holders in both countries, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The move comes as China has been continuously expanding visa exemptions for a growing number of countries. 

Oppose trade war

When holding talks with Aliyev, Xi said China is willing to work with Azerbaijan to safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, firmly protect respective legitimate rights and interests, and defend international fairness and justice.

Previously on April 11 when meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing, President Xi also said that there is no winner in a tariff war, and going against the world will only result in self-isolation. 

The remarks once again made clear China's stance on the tariff war, said Zhu, noting that China has clearly expressed its opposition to the US coercive trade measures.

Sun said that facing growing geopolitical and economic uncertainties, Azerbaijan is also seeking diversified partnerships to mitigate risks. As a stable global economic power, China offers support in investment, technology and market access. More importantly, amid global supply chain disruption driven by trade tensions and tariffs, deeper cooperation with China could help optimize regional logistics.

As members of the Global South, China and Azerbaijan are also deepening bilateral ties while jointly promoting a fairer and more inclusive global governance system through multilateral cooperation, Sun said.

Alongside partners in Eurasia, Latin America and Africa, they advocate for UN reform to strengthen the voice of developing countries, particularly within institutions like the Security Council. Mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS serve as key platforms for advancing practical, results-driven cooperation, contributing to greater stability in regional and global development amid global uncertainties, said the expert.