Disputed Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili Visits China
Georgia’s disputed Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili traveled to China on May 19, where he met, among others, Wang Huning, a senior Chinese Communist Party official often described in Western media as the CCP’s chief ideologue and one of President Xi Jinping’s closest advisers.
The visit marks Papuashvili’s first official trip to China and the first by a Georgian parliament speaker in 20 years, according to the Georgian parliament, which said he was invited by the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji.
Papuashvili is accompanied by a delegation of Georgian Dream MPs, including his first deputy, Giorgi Volski, deputies Nino Tsilosani and Sozar Subari, as well as parliament’s foreign relations committee chair Nikoloz Samkharadze and agriculture committee chair Gela Samkharauli.
Meeting with Wang Huning
On May 18, Shalva Papuashvili met with Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
According to the Georgian Parliament press office, the sides noted “significant progress” in Georgia-China relations in recent years and particularly emphasized the 2023 visit of the Georgian prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, to China, during which the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement.
Papuashvili “stated that Georgia and China share a commitment to protecting national sovereignty, peace, and security, and firmly support the principles of international law, strengthening the international order, and ensuring equality and mutual respect in international relations,” the release said, adding, “The Chinese side reaffirmed its strong support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
“The parties expressed readiness to further deepen bilateral relations and noted the considerable potential for cooperation between Georgia and China in all areas,” the press release said, noting that sides “focused on the development of parliamentary ties, as well as cooperation in trade and economy, tourism, education, innovation, and culture.” It further said, “Georgia’s participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the need to better utilize the potential of the Middle Corridor were also highlighted.”
Describing the meeting as “productive,” Papuashvili wrote on social media, “We confirmed our shared stance on respecting the rules-based international order as well as fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity We expressed our commitment to growing Strategic Partnership between Georgia and China across various areas, including the parliamentary level. We emphasized special importance of closer cooperation in connectivity, transport and logistics, fully utilizing the potential of the Middle Corridor.”
Wang Huning, 71, has been described by a number of Western international media outlets and analysts as China’s “ideological czar,” a “backstage ideologue,” and one of the country’s “most powerful intellectual,” and is considered the “brains” behind many Communist Party concepts, including China’s Belt and Road Initiative. A former scholar and professor, he is one of only two officials reappointed by President Xi Jinping to the seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, where he has served under three successive leaders: Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping.
Meeting with Zhao Leji
On May 18, Shalva Papuashvili also met with Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China. The Georgian parliamentary press release said the parties noted that bilateral relations are “developing dynamically.”
According to the press release, Papuashvili thanked the Chinese side for “supporting Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” while reaffirming “Georgia’s commitment to the ‘One China principle.’”
It also said the sides stressed the importance of international law in today’s “unstable world,” confirmed their “readiness to further deepen parliamentary ties,” and discussed “areas of bilateral cooperation, including trade and economy, tourism, modern technologies, culture and education.”
“Shalva Papuashvili spoke about the potential of the Middle Corridor and the importance of cooperation with China in this regard. He stated that, amid geopolitical tensions, the Middle Corridor represents the most effective alternative to the traditional Northern Corridor,” the press release added.
Following the meeting, Papuashvili wrote on social media, “We expressed our commitment to strengthening parliamentary cooperation and enhancing ties between parliamentary administrations, sectoral committees and friendship groups. We also exchanged views on expanding cooperation in trade and economy, connectivity, tourism, innovations, culture, and education. I underlined Georgia’s interest in more active engagement in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. In this context, I emphasized that the Middle Corridor will efficiently complement this initiative, amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.”
On May 19, Georgian parliament reported that Papuashvili delivered a lecture at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing.
In his lecture, Papuashvili “emphasized the importance of the first visit of the Georgian parliamentary delegation to China and highlighted the growing strategic partnership between Georgia and China,” the press release said, adding that he also spoke about “the efforts of the Georgian government aimed at protecting national interests and sovereignty” and further underlined Georgia’s “strategic geographic location and its significant potential in the field of connectivity.”
More to follow…
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