What Issues Exist in Armenia-China Relations?

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Since establishing diplomatic ties, Armenia-China relations have evolved rapidly. Notably, China was among the few countries in the mid-1990s to provide Armenia with Typhoon missiles. Additionally, military cooperation has strengthened, enabling Armenian personnel to receive education in China. Armenia has effectively recognized China’s expanding influence in international relations.

Chinese and Armenian officials consistently stated that their bilateral relations were free of issues and that their positions on various international matters were either identical or closely aligned. This means that Armenia successfully established this exceptional partnership with a global superpower. However, due to certain actions taken by the current Armenian government, this partnership was somewhat undermined, driven by several factors.

Since the change of power in Armenia, Yerevan has shown no interest in the “Belt and Road” mega-project, despite high-level commitments, and has not engaged with it, indicating its opposition to China’s initiative. This ambitious project is exceptionally important for China, and Beijing is collaborating closely with all potential partners.

Armenia still holds formal membership in the inactive Religious Freedom Alliance, which should not be confused with the International Religious Freedom Summit. Founded by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as an anti-China initiative, the alliance has been dormant for over four years. But despite that, Armenia remains a member of this informal alliance.

Another important issue for China is Armenia’s stance on Taiwan. Armenia officially recognizes China’s territorial integrity, and while there are no statements against this claim, some actions warrant further scrutiny. Armenia recently hosted Taiwan’s Minister of Economy, despite its commitment to avoiding direct contact with Taiwanese officials. The Taiwan issue is highly sensitive for China, which strictly enforces the “One China” principle for all countries.

China has not publicly commented on these actions but has conveyed its dissatisfaction through other means. For nearly seven months, it has lacked an ambassador to Armenia, an unprecedented situation in Armenian-Chinese relations. This clearly sends a message — there are no coincidences in such matters. Beijing has numerous skilled diplomats ready to be sent to Yerevan at any time. Beijing is signaling to Yerevan that it will not accept disrespect from a major power.

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At the same time, it indicates that if Armenia opts for this type of relationship, Beijing is willing to engage with Yerevan on that basis. Recently, Armenia’s former ambassador to China, Sergey Manasaryan, noted that the current stagnation in Armenian-Chinese relations stems from Armenia’s low level of relations with Russia. He suggested that China’s attitude toward Yerevan should be understood in the context of Armenia’s ties with Russia.

In any case, we are witnessing how Yerevan is attempting to cool its relations with both Beijing and Moscow in order to move closer to the West and the United States. However, it would be wise for Armenia’s leaders to understand that when the great powers compete with one another, the primary role of smaller states should not be to play on their contradictions but rather to ensure that they are not caught underfoot in this geopolitical struggle.

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