June 9, 2026 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

Tbilisi and Beijing have elevated their bilateral relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Embassy of China in Georgia said on June 9, publishing letters exchanged between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Georgian Dream-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The comprehensive strategic partnership comes nearly three years after the establishment of a strategic partnership in 2023. It follows Georgia’s intensified ties with China against the backdrop of its deteriorating relations with traditional Western partners, including the U.S and the EU, and concerns over Chinese influence in Georgia.

The signing of the agreement also coincides with the passage of a bill by the U.S. House of Representatives a day earlier requiring a report on Russian and Chinese influence and intelligence assets in Georgia, as well as a five-year strategy for bilateral relations with Georgia.

Despite official sources announcing the agreement, no special signing ceremony has been reported, unlike the 2023 strategic partnership, which was marked by a special ceremony and a joint statement by Xi Jinping and Georgia’s then-prime minister Irakli Garibashvili during his official visit to China.

In his letter, published in Georgian by the Embassy of China, Xi Jinping said he believes the comprehensive strategic partnership “will open new prospects for the development of China–Georgia relations, write a new chapter in the traditional friendship between the two countries, give strong impetus to mutually beneficial cooperation, and bring greater benefits to the peoples of both countries.”

According to the embassy, Xi noted in his letter that for over 34 years, China and Georgia have adhered to the principles of “mutual respect,” “mutual trust,” and “mutually beneficial cooperation,” promoting what he described as “healthy and stable development” of bilateral ties and achieving “fruitful results” across various fields. He also said that since the 2023 establishment of the strategic partnership, “political mutual trust has further strengthened, pragmatic cooperation has intensified, and multilateral cooperation has become more productive.”

“Xi Jinping emphasized that, regardless of changes in the international situation, China has always viewed relations between the two countries from a strategic and long-term perspective,” the embassy said.

On his part, Kavelashvili said he believes the comprehensive strategic agreement “will create more opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, bring greater benefits to both nations, and further strengthen the friendship between the two peoples.”

According to the embassy, the Georgian Dream-elected president also noted that Georgia and China have established a “long-standing friendship” and that bilateral relations have made significant progress based on “mutual respect,” “mutual trust,” and “constructive cooperation.”

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze separately stated in response to a question during the same-day briefing that the agreement on a comprehensive strategic partnership, which he described as “very important,” was signed “today.”

“These three years [since signing the strategic partnership] have brought a great deal to bilateral relations: our political and economic ties have deepened significantly,” the GD PM said, noting that a visa-free regime for citizens of the two countries was introduced, direct flights were launched, and trade and economic relations have brought “very concrete, tangible results.”

He added that the new agreement will bring “even greater results in terms of deepening Georgian-Chinese relations.”

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