Chinese Ambassador highlights financial cooperation as pillar of growing China-Georgia ties

Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, on Saturday emphasised the importance of financial cooperation in deepening bilateral relations, expressing optimism for further achievements in trade, investment, and economic resilience.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Zhou highlighted the March visit of National Bank of Georgia Governor Natia Turnava to China, during which a historic memorandum of cooperation was signed between the central banks of the two countries.

“In March of this year, the Governor of the National Bank of Georgia Natia Turnava visited China and signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Chinese side. This was the first meeting and the first official cooperation document between the central bank presidents of the two countries, which is indeed a significant and historic event. As is known, BasisBank - owned by China’s Hualing Group operating in Xinjiang - is successfully functioning in Georgia, continuously expanding its operations and receiving multiple sectoral awards”, the Ambassador said.

The Ambassador underscored the role of financial cooperation in enhancing bilateral trade, infrastructure development, and economic resilience.

“Finance is essential for the real economy. Today, as humanity faces major global changes, challenges and uncertainty in the world economy are intensifying. China-Georgia financial cooperation will contribute to bilateral trade, investment, and the development of large-scale infrastructure projects. At the same time, it will strengthen Georgia's resilience to external financial risks and increase its economic robustness”, he continued.

Looking ahead, Zhou expressed hope for more Chinese banks to enter the Georgian market and for Chinese payment platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay to become accessible in Georgia - developments that would facilitate smoother trade and attract more Chinese tourists.