Chinese Ambassador says Georgia’s location makes transit trade highly promising

Zhou Qian, the Chinese Ambassador to Georgia, said on Saturday that Georgia’s favourable geographic location makes transit trade highly promising, adding that if the country strengthens its role as a trade hub for exports to China, trade volumes in relevant sectors could increase significantly.

In an interview with Imedi TV, Zhou discussed the development of Georgia-China trade relations, highlighting opportunities in transit trade, e-commerce, and agriculture.

“Precious metal ores from Georgia account for a significant share of exports to China, much of which comes from transit trade. Georgia’s favourable geographical location makes transit trade very promising. If Georgia better assumes the role of a trade hub for exports to China, it is expected that trade volumes in relevant sectors will increase significantly”, he said.

The Ambassador recommended continued active participation in major Chinese events such as the China International Import Expo and the Canton Fair to raise awareness of Georgian agricultural products.

“At the same time, although Georgian agricultural products such as mineral water and spices are relatively small in scale, their exports to China have grown rapidly in recent years. It is recommended that Georgia continue to actively participate in major international exhibitions held in China, such as the China International Import Expo and the Canton Fair, so that awareness and recognition of Georgian agricultural products among Chinese consumers continues to increase”, Zhou noted.

He also mentioned plans to sign a memorandum on e-commerce cooperation and organise business matchmaking events to help Georgian companies reach Chinese consumers.

“In addition, China and Georgia are considering signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in e-commerce, which I believe will effectively improve cross-border e-commerce between the two countries. In the future, we will also hold e-commerce business matchmaking events to help Georgian companies effectively use Chinese consumers’ preferred e-commerce platforms and improve sales of leading Georgian products in China, such as wine and mineral water”, he said.

Additionally, Zhou pointed to opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, including crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, and food processing to increase the added value of Georgian exports.

“I would also like to emphasise that Georgia has a mild climate, fertile soil, and abundant agricultural resources, but its self-sufficiency rate in agricultural products and food is low, and the volume of high value-added exports is not large. China’s planting and cultivation technologies are among the world’s leading”, he stressed.

“The two sides can consider cooperation in crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries, and agricultural infrastructure. In addition, Georgia has a rich variety of fruits and nuts with significant yields; processing technology levels can be improved, and by improving the quality and appearance of final products, the added value of exported goods can be increased. There are excellent opportunities for cooperation between China and Georgia in these areas”, Zhou concluded.