Georgian ruling party MP: China partnership vindicated by Western outreach

Levan Machavariani, first deputy chair of the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, said on Thursday Georgia’s decision to establish a strategic partnership with China had been proven right, pointing to recent visits by Western leaders to Beijing.

In a social media post, Machavariani said Georgia faced criticism from Western partners after signing the strategic partnership with China, but noted that many Western leaders have since sought to deepen their own ties with Beijing, viewing cooperation with China as vital for economic development.

He recalled that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, French president Emmanuel Macron, the prime ministers of Canada and the United Kingdom, and Germany’s chancellor have all visited Chinese president Xi Jinping in recent succession.

Machavariani claimed the visits showed that partnership and cooperation with China were essential, particularly for the European Union. He said that over time it has become clear that the steps taken by Georgian Dream were unavoidable and strategically sound.

Machavariani added that those who were led to believe closer ties with China would mean distancing from the West should now reassess that view and apply more critical thinking.