IRIA News

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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Beijing on April 23, 2025, marking a pivotal moment in Baku’s foreign policy and signaling a deepening alliance with China at a time of global realignment.

During the high-level trip, President Aliyev met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the two leaders signed a joint declaration that officially elevated Azerbaijan-China relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The agreement, which was finalized in July 2024 during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana and further reinforced during Aliyev’s visit, lays the groundwork for intensified cooperation in trade, energy, infrastructure, and climate action, and aligns both nations around a shared vision of a multipolar global order, countering what Aliyev described as “hegemony and power politics.”

A historic phase for bilateral relations

In an interview with China’s Xinhua News Agency, President Aliyev captured the essence of this shift when he stated, “The relationship between Baku and Beijing has entered a historic phase.”

The statement reflects over a decade of pragmatic collaboration, now consolidated under a formal framework that binds both countries through shared interests in trade, climate cooperation, regional connectivity, and global multilateralism.

Aliyev positioned this alliance within the broader context of the Global South, adding that “Being part of the Global South, we have always defended its interests,” adding that both countries aim to promote “peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom” while opposing “hegemony and power politics.”

Economic expansion anchored in logistics and energy

Central to this growing partnership is the dramatic expansion in trade. In 2024 alone, bilateral trade between China and Azerbaijan rose by 20.7%, with China emerging as Azerbaijan’s largest import partner.

This economic surge is underpinned by Azerbaijan’s strategic participation in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), particularly through its central role in the Middle Corridor, a trans-Caspian transport route linking China with Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

Aliyev emphasized the competitiveness of this corridor, calling it “the most competitive route for delivering goods between China and Europe.” Azerbaijan’s geographic location and expanding infrastructure make it a natural logistical hub, and Baku has been swift to capitalize on this, investing in multi-modal transport systems including the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Alat Free Economic Zone.

Yet Aliyev was quick to emphasize that there is much to be done between the countries. “There is still huge untapped potential,” he noted, particularly in sectors such as digital technology, energy, and infrastructure, areas where Chinese investment and expertise are rapidly growing.

Climate cooperation and COP29

The deepening relationship also has a climate diplomacy component. President Aliyev praised China’s support during the COP29 climate summit hosted in Baku in November 2024. This endorsement was particularly significant given the geopolitical context of the summit.

“Despite the large-scale and unfounded campaign of pressure and boycott against Azerbaijan led by certain Western circles, we demonstrated strong political will and professionalism,” Aliyev said, highlighting the political costs Baku faced in hosting the event and the value of Chinese backing.

Several Chinese companies have signed onto major renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan, including co-developing the 100 MW Gobustan Solar Power Plant and engaging in an ambitious 2 GW offshore wind initiative in the Caspian Sea. These projects aim to reposition Azerbaijan not just as a fossil fuel exporter, but as a regional clean energy hub, a transformation with significant geopolitical implications.

Cultural and multilateral connectivity

Beyond economic and climate partnerships, Aliyev also pointed to the broadening of “cooperation in education, language, tourism and cultural exchanges,” reflecting a soft power dimension in bilateral ties. This multifaceted approach underscores the long-term intent behind the partnership, embedding China-Azerbaijan relations in both state-to-state mechanisms and people-to-people ties.

Furthermore, Azerbaijan’s support for China-led institutions, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), reinforces Baku’s alignment with multilateralism that often counters Western-centric global governance.

“Our active dialogue, mutual respect, and trust are playing a valuable role in deepening bilateral relations,” Aliyev remarked, reinforcing the strategic alignment of their global outlooks.

The Azerbaijan-China partnership is a vast strategic opportunity for both nations. On one hand, Baku gains access to capital, technology, and markets that could transform its economy and cement its place as a Eurasian logistics and energy hub.

On the other hand, the deepening entanglement with China introduces significant strategic risks, economic dependency, reduced policy autonomy, and potential alienation from traditional partners.

The success of this partnership will ultimately depend on Azerbaijan’s ability to manage these contradictions. Aliyev’s government appears confident in its capacity to navigate this new landscape. But in an increasingly polarized world, balancing between the gravitational pulls of East and West is no longer just about diplomacy, it is a high-stakes game of national survival and strategic foresight.