Yerevan`s aspiration to deepen relations with Brussels limits  possibilities of strategically closer relations with Beijing -  diplomat 

ArmInfo.  The statements allegedly made in an interview with Turkiye Gazetesi by the PRC Charge d'Affaires in Armenia Chen Ming and the subsequent denial by the Chinese Embassy cannot but lead to a number of certain conclusions.

In the interview, the diplomat allegedly stated that China is  preparing to include Armenia in its transport network, taking another  step within the framework of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.   Beijing plans to more actively integrate Armenia, which is promoting  the "Crossroads of Peace", into the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

According to the Turkish media, the Chinese diplomat announced the  imminent signing of an agreement with Yerevan in the field of  transport, and these projects will allegedly change the economic map  of the South Caucasus.

However, almost a day later, the Chinese Embassy in Armenia responded  to this publication, stating that the Charge d'Affaires had not given  any interviews to Turkish media.

"China's foreign policy towards Armenia is consistent and clear. We  support the efforts of the Armenian side to preserve national  independence, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

China is ready to further deepen friendly and cooperative relations  with Armenia and jointly promote the high-quality implementation of  the "One Belt, One Road" initiative for the benefit of the two  peoples," the embassy said in a statement.

According to Vahe Davtyan, Doctor of Political Science, Senior  Researcher at the Caucasian Studies Sector of the Institute of China  and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, all these  statements so far look more like a diplomatic formality. In his  opinion, the statements made in a conversation with ArmInfo  correspondent about Beijing's intentions to involve Armenia in the  "One Belt, One Road" initiative may at first glance be perceived as a  sign of intensification of the Chinese-Armenian dialogue. However,  such optimistic rhetoric contrasts with the unsatisfactory dynamics  of bilateral relations.

"It is symptomatic that China has not appointed an ambassador to  Armenia for a year now. In 2020, Yerevan signed the International  Convention on Freedom of Religion, which Beijing traditionally views  as an instrument of Western pressure and interference in China's  internal affairs, including in the context of the Uyghur issue. This  step could not go unnoticed in Beijing and objectively cooled the  bilateral political climate," Vahe Davtyan noted.

He pointed out the fact that the statement of the Chinese embassy  requires interpretation in a broad regional context. "The Belt and  Road Initiative is a global project, where the South Caucasus acts as  a potential diversification route, allowing to connect the  North-South and East-West corridors. Through the Persian Gulf, Iran  and further along the Black Sea to Europe or Russia - this route may  acquire critical importance for China in the context of growing  geoeconomic turbulence and Beijing's desire to reduce dependence on  traditional transport routes. In general, the region is already  partially involved in the Chinese initiative through the  Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway," the expert said.

Vahe Davtyan added that against this background, Baku is actively  promoting the concept of the so-called "Zangezur corridor" as part of  the new logistics infrastructure within the framework of the "One  Belt, One Road" project. Azerbaijan, the expert continued, positions  itself as a transit hub capable of expanding the geography of the  Chinese initiative and creating an alternative channel for the  delivery of goods bypassing unstable zones, and in this context, the  statement of the Chinese embassy may be aimed at balancing regional  accents, especially against the background of the recent visit of  Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Beijing, during which a number  of bilateral cooperation agreements were signed, including in the  energy and transport sectors, and a joint statement was adopted  between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the PRC on the establishment  of a comprehensive strategic partnership.

"In general, the level of real economic integration of Armenia into  Chinese initiatives remains low.  Armenian exports to China are  essentially limited to supplies of copper-molybdenum concentrate,  with no signs of technological cooperation or industrial integration.  China has not yet implemented a single large- scale economic project  in Armenia: humanitarian initiatives, supplies of buses, ambulances,  or the opening of Confucius centers and schools - all of this,  although important, does not indicate the presence of strategic  investment interest. At the same time, the question arises: how  realistic is it to expect intensive integration of Armenia into the  "One Belt, One Road" project in the context of Yerevan's clearly  pro-Western foreign policy vector? The desire to deepen relations  with the EU, joining anti-Chinese declarations, attempts to distance  itself from Moscow - all this objectively limits the possibilities of  strategic rapprochement with Beijing," the expert concluded.

Based on the results of January 2025, China became Armenia's second  largest trading partner, showing, however, a slight growth of 0.2% -  up to $200 million. However, exports to China decreased by 60%,  amounting to $38 million, while imports from China increased by 54%,  reaching $161.4 million. At the same time, it should be borne in mind  that the significant reduction in export volumes is due to the  cessation of re-export of Russian gold to Hong Kong.