National Bank’s move to China signals shift from West, opposition politician

Opposition politician Roman Gotsiridze has criticized the National Bank’s decision to transfer part of Georgia’s reserves to China, calling it part of a broader plan to distance the country from Western influence.

“The National Bank has said this transfer is allowed under an agreement with China’s central bank. While the move is framed as reserve diversification and risk management, in reality it mirrors steps taken by Russia, which shifted its reserves to gold and Chinese yuan after Western assets were frozen. Every major step taken by the ruling party in recent years is a direct ‘copy’ of Russian practices. Moving reserves to China is part of a plan to further detach from the West,” Gotsiridze said.