The “close relations” between Georgia and China, their elevation to strategic partnership last year, and future prospects of cooperation were discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, Azernews reports, citing Agenda.

The officials welcomed the intensification of cooperation in “various fields” and said they hoped the strategic relations would contribute to “further development” of sectoral, economic and trade relations as well as people-to-people ties, the Georgian Government Administration said.

The meeting focused on the cooperation between the Parliament of Georgia and the National People's Congress of China, noting parliamentary friendship groups had been established in both legislatures to expand relations.

Economic cooperation was also emphasised, with the officials emphasising China was among the top five trade partners of Georgia, with the trade turnover between the states exceeding $1.5 billion between January and November of 2023.

The meeting also discussed the “successful” cooperation of the two countries in developing Georgia's “special” geopolitical location, which they said increased the country's potential as an “East-West connecting corridor”.

Kobakhidze once again expressed the “strong support” of his Government to the One China principle, with the sides also reaffirming their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the two countries.