Baku, an "ally" of Pakistan: China's largest trading partner in the South Caucasus region
The Turkic-speaking country of Azerbaijan, located in the South Caucasus and along the Caspian Sea, is an important node of the "Middle Corridor" and rich in oil and gas resources. It is China's largest trading partner in the South Caucasus region, while China is Azerbaijan's fourth-largest trading partner and its largest source of imports.
Azerbaijan is one of the first countries to respond to China's Belt and Road Initiative. The transportation and infrastructure projects it has implemented play a crucial role in the implementation of the initiative, becoming the shortest, most efficient, and safest route for transporting goods between China and Europe.
In the context of drastic changes in the global geopolitical landscape, interest in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor [Middle Corridor] has grown increasingly intense.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, also known as the "Middle Corridor," connects China and European countries through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey.
According to reports by AKIpress, citing Aktau News, Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport Marat Karabaev stated during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's visit to the Aktau International Seaport that last year, the cargo volume transported via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor increased by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons.
He mentioned that so far this year, a total of 358 China-Europe freight trains have been operated, with 27,000 vehicles transported by road, exporting 3.2 million tons. By 2028, this figure is planned to increase to 10 million tons.
With the support of allies Turkey and Pakistan, Azerbaijan has reclaimed the Armenian-controlled separatist regions during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Azerbaijan has procured JF-17 Thunder fighter jets - an export version of the fourth-generation multi-role fighter jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG).
In an era of prevalent tariffs, Chinese enterprises should have a Caucasus perspective, confidently and ambitiously stepping out into the world.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1830122841912395/
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