Relations between Azerbaijan and China have historically been based on friendship and mutual respect, and both countries have closely cooperated in order to defend their national interests and take a more active position in the world economy. Recently, especially since the beginning of the 21st century, a new stage has begun in these relations. Agil Asadov, head of the department of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), said that the basis of the Azerbaijani-Chinese partnership is the friendly relations of the heads of state, mutual trust, mutual visits, meetings of officials and business representatives.

The next state visit of President Ilham Aliyev to the People's Republic of China is another step towards the development of bilateral relations. The visits of the head of state contribute to the further strengthening of integration between the countries and the emergence of new cooperation opportunities, creating long-term prospects. There are already numerous agreements on large-scale and long-term cooperation between Azerbaijan and the superpower with the world's second largest economy, as a huge manufacturing center.

According to Agil Asadov, cooperating with a powerful state like China and establishing close relations in various fields are still unrealized dreams of many countries. However, the similarities in the development philosophy of Azerbaijan and China, the fact that the leaders of both countries are reliable partners, and the sensitive approach to global challenges and international law make Azerbaijan important for China, and China important for Azerbaijan.

A well-thought-out policy that further strengthens its geo-strategic advantages, timely and correct decisions, software-based public administration, and large-scale infrastructure construction that started 25 years ago have turned Azerbaijan into a regional leader and a reliable partner of global importance. The whole world now confirms and accepts that the head of state of Azerbaijan, who “...does what he says and says what he does,” always supports peace, security, and cooperation as a reliable partner. Azerbaijan prefers cooperation, not competition, in every project with all states that respect international law.

Within the framework of President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to China, production, investment, trade, transport, energy, education, intellectual property, justice, etc. About 20 important documents, including a Joint Statement on comprehensive strategic partnership, were signed, providing for Azerbaijan-China cooperation in various directions. All this is the beginning of a new page in relations with the superpower with the world's second largest economy - a page with prospects such as closer cooperation, greater trade turnover, more intensive transportation, obtaining more income from transit, large-scale mutual investments, cooperation in the areas of space, science and technology, digitalization, visa abolition, further deepening of cooperation on the "One Belt, One Road", etc.

The head of the department of the CAERC said that Azerbaijan is interested in exporting its agricultural products, crude oil and gas to the Chinese markets. China, on the other hand, aims to establish long-term economic relations here by investing in infrastructure projects and technological areas in Azerbaijan. Relations between the two countries serve the development of not only economic, but also strategic cooperation. By strengthening political relations with China, Azerbaijan is also further strengthening its position in the international arena.

According to the signed documents, scientific and educational relations between the two countries will also develop, both sides will support mutual projects in the field of education, which will be an impetus for cooperation between universities and schools. As a result, Azerbaijani youth will have easier access to new technologies and opportunities to acquire knowledge in this field. Let's take into account that China, the world's largest manufacturing center, is also the second largest in the world after India in terms of population. This means that about 20% of the world's population, or more than 1.5 billion people, speak Chinese. Another advantage of integration in the fields of science, education, culture, tourism, etc. is that the number of Azerbaijanis who master the Chinese language will increase. This will contribute to better mastering the "know-how" and innovations applied in China, and the formation of specialists who meet global challenges.

According to Agil Asadov, another important result of the visit is the abolition of the visa regime between the two countries. China, in addition to being one of the world's largest tourist markets, is also interested in Azerbaijan's unique nature, historical monuments and culture. It is a reality that thousands of tourists will soon come to our country from China, which already has a population of over 1.5 billion, and it is important for the tourism sector to be ready for this. At the same time, increasing flights between Azerbaijan and China, and conducting promotional activities in the field of tourism using the capabilities of Azerbaijani Trade Houses operating in China, can be important in terms of strengthening bilateral relations and will have a positive impact on the development of the tourism industry between the two countries.

The signed documents will allow attracting Chinese investments to the areas declared green energy zones and the energy sector, which is expected to continue to be one of the main partners of China in the energy sector of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's important role in China's "One Belt, One Road" project will also create conditions for this country to further strengthen its position in the regional and global power centers.

Our country's favorable transport and transit opportunities are attractive for Chinese products to access the markets of European, Arabian Gulf and African countries. The long-term goal of the “One Belt, One Road” project, which is called “an attempt to strengthen regional relations and embrace a brighter future” as the idea of ​​Chinese leader Xi Jinping, is to ensure more flexible access of Chinese products to the mentioned markets. In this sense, the signing of the Cooperation Plan on the joint promotion of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative between our countries, the Agreement on international multimodal transportation, and the improvement of transport relations attract particular attention. Considering that Azerbaijan’s infrastructure has an annual cargo throughput capacity of 25 million tons, and the opening of the Zangezur corridor will allow increasing this volume to 35 million tons, as well as the shorter transportation routes passing through our country, the importance of Azerbaijan in exporting Chinese products to target markets becomes clear. In this sense, it is necessary to approach transport-transit relations as an important direction of relations between the two countries.

The head of the department of the CAERC added that Azerbaijani-Chinese relations are not limited only to the development of economic and political relations, but are also covered by deepening cooperation on regional and global issues. Both countries support each other's positions on the international stage and take steps towards mutually beneficial cooperation. The new page opened in relations between Azerbaijan and China is developing in accordance with the strategic interests of both countries. This cooperation offers broad opportunities not only in the economic sphere, but also in the political, cultural and social spheres. Based on the issues discussed by the heads of state together, the documents signed, and the meetings held with officials and representatives of the business world, there is no doubt that Azerbaijan's relations with China will further strengthen in the future and this partnership will become more important both at the regional and global levels. All this characterizes the joint steps of Azerbaijan and China towards strategic goals.