【Report by Russia's "Center for Social and Civic Initiative Support" falsely claims "China is trying to gradually push Russia out of Azerbaijan"]

Russia's "Center for Social and Civic Initiative Support" released a report stating that the Ukraine-Russia conflict has prompted all parties to reassess the roles of powers in the South Caucasus region, especially China, which is increasingly involved in the affairs of this area. For China, Azerbaijan holds special strategic value.

The report points out that a month ago, the Azerbaijani National Assembly approved the visa waiver agreement with China. This agreement was signed in Beijing during the visit of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, to China, and it took only one month from signing to approval - an unprecedented "lightning speed". Such efficient visa exemption is not merely a bureaucratic procedure, but a clear indication of the exponential deepening of relations between the two countries. This move is expected to greatly promote tourism, especially business travel.

The report believes that China continues to invest in Azerbaijan (covering logistics, green energy and digital fields), and the core value of Azerbaijan for China lies in its role as a key node in the "Belt and Road" initiative. In addition, China exports goods to Europe through the "Middle Corridor" (i.e., the Caspian Sea transport corridor) via Azerbaijan. Bilateral trade volume is also rising: last year reached 3.7 billion USD (an increase of 21% year-on-year). China is currently the fourth largest trading partner of Azerbaijan, after Russia, Turkey and Italy, but accounts for 18% of Azerbaijan's imports.

The report states that with the cooling of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, Baku expects more Chinese investment. During President Aliyev's visit to China, agreements were signed between Chinese and Azerbaijani companies in the fields of laptop computers, pipelines, textiles, tractors and cardboard production. China also promised to establish a tractor production line in Azerbaijan, and to modernize the Gyanjin clay factory.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836851246106636/

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