On April 23, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing.
During the meeting, the sides once again emphasized that the Joint Declaration on strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China, adopted last July, demonstrated the high level of bilateral relations. They stressed the significance of the Joint Statement on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership signed today, noting that it reflects the spirit and nature of the relationship. The parties pointed out that within a short period—less than a year—bilateral ties have advanced from a strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which reflects the dynamic development of the relations.
They underlined that Azerbaijan and China are two friendly countries actively cooperating across all spheres. In addition to political cooperation, the sides hailed the development of economic and trade relations, including a 20 percent increase in bilateral trade turnover last year, reaching $3.7 billion, and an almost 40 percent growth in trade turnover in the first three months of this year.
The head of state noted that China is not only Azerbaijan’s number one import partner but also its fourth largest trade partner. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the successful implementation of the Declaration on strategic partnership across all areas and stated that Azerbaijan and China are actively engaged in transport and logistics cooperation covering many countries across Eurasia.
The discussions also addressed collaboration within international organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The sides emphasized the longstanding mutual support between Azerbaijan and China for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, with Azerbaijan consistently upholding the "One China" policy. The two countries’ joint efforts in combating terrorism, extremism, and separatism were also highlighted.
Both sides emphasized their commitment to a United Nations-based international relations system. President Ilham Aliyev noted the importance of creating a mechanism to enforce UN Security Council resolutions, recalling that Azerbaijan had long suffered due to their non-implementation.
They discussed the recent meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission held in Baku along with the accompanying business forum. They was noted that the event resulted in the signing of several cooperation agreements between Azerbaijani and Chinese companies across various sectors.
Premier Li Qiang highlighted the growing importance of the Middle Corridor and reported an increase in cargo transportation along the route.
They touched upon joint efforts to further boost the corridor’s capacity.
The meeting explored opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, the oil and gas sector between Azerbaijani and Chinese companies as well as the application of Chinese technologies in Azerbaijan. They emphasized significant investment potential in these areas.
Cooperation in demining was also addressed. Li Qiang stated that China is ready to provide humanitarian support in this area.
Following Azerbaijan’s decision to unilaterally lift visa requirements for Chinese citizens, the importance of signing a reciprocal visa waiver agreement was underlined. They expressed hope that this step would enhance people-to-people contacts and boost tourism.
The meeting discussed agricultural cooperation—including in sericulture, cotton production, and agricultural machinery. China’s support for Azerbaijan’s economic diversification policy and the country’s Digital Transformation and Development Concept was also underlined.
The meeting further addressed cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in China were acknowledged with appreciation.
