TIANJIN , CHINA — Armenia and China have established a strategic partnership, as announced today in China by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan following their meeting. A joint declaration on the matter was adopted.
According to the Armenian government, Prime Minister Pashinyan arrived in China today to participate in the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. During his conversation with Xi Jinping, Pashinyan reaffirmed Yerevan’s intention to join the SCO, and the two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation within its framework.
At their meeting in the city of Tianjin, President Xi emphasized that China firmly supports Armenia’s political independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He also stressed China’s support for the Armenian government’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative and the unblocking of regional communication routes, while welcoming the ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
For his part, Prime Minister Pashinyan reiterated Armenia’s adherence to the “One China” principle. He noted that the “Crossroads of Peace” initiative could be effectively linked with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, of which Armenia was among the first official participants.
Pashinyan also highlighted the Armenian government’s interest in expanding investment projects in Armenia by Chinese companies.
Later in the day, the government published the full text of the joint declaration on establishing a strategic partnership between Armenia and China.
The declaration states that the Armenian side reaffirms its commitment to the “One China” principle, recognizing that there is only one China in the world, that Taiwan is an integral part of Chinese territory, and that the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing all of China. Armenia firmly opposes any form of “Taiwan independence” and supports China’s efforts toward national reunification.
The Chinese side, in turn, reaffirmed its strong support for Armenia’s political independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of its borders. China also expressed support for Armenia’s peace agenda and welcomed the “Crossroads of Peace” initiative.
Both sides agreed that geopolitical intrigues encouraging confrontation serve no purpose and jointly oppose actions that destabilize the region or provoke new escalations.
The upcoming four-day summit is expected to be the largest in the SCO’s more than 20-year history.
