“Some deliberately misleading” public over China’s pledge for Georgia’s territorial integrity – Ambassador

Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, on Wednesday claimed “some people” were “deliberately misleading” the public over his country’s pledge for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, noting Beijing had “always supported” Georgia’s territorial integrity. 

 

Kelly Degnan, the outgoing United States’ Ambassador to Georgia, in August responded to Georgia’s establishing of strategic partnership with China, telling Radio Liberty she had not seen China’s pledge for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the related document, while Tbilisi had made such a pledge. “This [the territorial integrity] is the main priority [of the country]”, Degnan said, pointing to China’s “increasingly close relations” with Russia that occupies 20 percent of the Georgian territories. 

 

In his press comments, the Chinese diplomat claimed Georgia had joined China’s Global Security Initiative as it was about respecting the UN Charter and principles. 

 

“This means that China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. This is the most important principle of Chinese policy. [And] that is why Georgia supported the initiative”, he said, adding the strategic partnership document did not clearly read that Beijing recognized the occupation of Georgian regions by Russia because the Global Security Initiative “already implies that”.

 

Georgia and China established strategic ties in the summer, during Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s visit to China.

 

The very first paragraph of the agreement states that the parties confirm respect for the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries”.

 

This is followed by a note, according to which “Georgia firmly supports the principle of one China” – that is, it recognizes that Taiwan – which has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949 – is an integral part of China, and indicates that it supports the reunification of China.

 

Part of the Georgian opposition and experts claimed Georgia did not receive a note in response that clearly stated that China supports Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence within its internationally recognized borders.