China seeks to strengthen relations with South Caucasus and region's leader - Azerbaijan

Immediately after his tour of Southeast Asia, Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to receive his counterparts from Azerbaijan and Kenya in Beijing this week, continuing his diplomatic work with developing countries.

As Report informs, citing Nikkei, the visits of the heads of state of Azerbaijan and Kenya, according to observers, reflect Beijing's strategic shift toward new partners to maintain growth.

"Whenever China faces tension, opposition, and isolation from Western countries, it turns even more resolutely — and with much greater focus and intensity — toward the developing world," said Paul Nantulya, a research fellow at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington.

Last week, Xi visited Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, where he observed the signing of dozens of agreements aimed at strengthening economic ties. The world's second-largest economy is seeking to counter deflationary pressure and survive a period of "trade war" with Washington, during which both powers imposed tariffs on each other significantly exceeding 100%.

"China will quickly strengthen ties with what it calls the 'circle of friends' in Africa, among which Kenya has become important in recent years," added Nantulya.

While the US reduces aid volumes to the developing world, China appears to be seeking to fill any vacuum, offering itself as an alternative to the American-led world order. Many experts argue that current US policy gives Beijing an opportunity to present itself as a defender of multilateralism, a theme that Xi recently promoted in Vietnam.

For Kenya's President William Ruto, this will be the second visit to Beijing in less than a year, after attending the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in September last year. He is expected to take advantage of Beijing's elevation of ties with Africa to a "strategic level" during the forum, seeking funding for Kenya's key infrastructure projects, expanding trade and technological support.

China's total trade with Africa has nearly doubled over a decade, reaching $295 billion in 2024.

Similarly, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev will meet with Xi again after their talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kazakhstan in July last year.

Located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan serves as an important trade link between China and Europe. In recent years, Azerbaijan has attracted Chinese companies in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and telecommunications, according to Yunis Sharifli, a non-resident fellow of the China Global South project, an American multimedia organization.

Azerbaijan seeks to balance relations with traditional partners, including Russia and Europe, and with leading powers of the Global South, primarily China.

Chinese companies such as Longi Green Energy Technology and electric vehicle manufacturer BYD are among the investors supporting the diversification of Azerbaijan's economy.

In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Monday, President Aliyev said that the cross-border transport corridor (Middle Corridor) will create new economic opportunities for Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, as he seeks to expand cooperation in renewable energy and high-tech industries.