On April 23, an official welcome ceremony was held for Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, who arrived on a state visit to the People’s Republic of China.

During the ceremony, a guard of honor was arranged for President Aliyev in a square adorned with the national flags of both countries, where he and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were welcomed by Xi Jinping, President of China, and First Lady Peng Liyuan. A banquet held in honor of the Azerbaijani delegation featured national music and performances from Arshin Mal Alan, along with songs dedicated to Baku and Azerbaijan.

In a meeting, President Xi Jinping praised Azerbaijan’s achievements under Aliyev’s leadership and reiterated strong mutual support for each other’s territorial integrity. They discussed their commitment to the “One China” policy and explored opportunities for further collaboration in renewable energy, focusing on China’s significant investments in Azerbaijan’s energy sector. The importance of the Middle Corridor, which facilitates trade between China and Europe, was also highlighted, with both sides noting an increase in cargo shipments along this route.

Xi Jinping emphasized during talks with Aliyev that, despite shifting global circumstances, China-Azerbaijan relations remain stable, founded on mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. He called for further development of comprehensive cooperation and political trust between the two nations.

The leaders signed a joint statement affirming their commitment to each other’s development paths and sovereignty and emphasizing their shared opposition to geopolitical confrontations. Xi Jinping invited President Aliyev to attend the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in China.

On the same day, a signing ceremony for bilateral agreements was held in Beijing with both presidents present. Aliyev and Xi first signed a Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China.

Subsequently, a series of documents covering multiple areas of cooperation were signed:

Jeyhun Bayramov, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, and Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister, signed agreements on mutual visa exemptions and humanitarian mine action cooperation.

Shahin Mustafayev, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Prime Minister, and Wang Yi signed a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, while Mustafayev and Chen Xiaodong, Director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, signed an agreement on technical and economic cooperation.

Bayramov and Yin Hejun, China’s Minister of Science and Technology, signed a protocol on science and technology cooperation.

Further memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and protocols were signed between Azerbaijani ministers and their Chinese counterparts in the fields of justice, culture, intellectual property, space cooperation, investment, industrial development, digital economy, green development, trade, and transportation.

Among key agreements:

Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, and Shan Zhongde, Head of the China National Space Administration, signed an MoU on cooperation in outer space.

Israfil Mammadov, Executive Director of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, and Zhang Qingsong, Chairman of the China Investment Corporation, signed an MoU on financial cooperation.

A Cooperation Plan on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative was signed by Mustafayev and Zheng Shanjie, Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission.

According to the Joint Statement signed on April 23, both countries reaffirmed their mutual support for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Azerbaijan reiterated its support for the “One China” policy, opposing any form of “Taiwan independence.” In turn, China expressed support for Azerbaijan’s peace agenda and its opposition to geopolitical confrontation.

Both parties agreed to align China’s Belt and Road Initiative with Azerbaijan’s Revival of the Silk Road and 2030 Socio-Economic Development Strategy. Plans were announced to establish a Working Group on investment cooperation and to gradually negotiate a free trade agreement. Both nations expressed readiness to deepen cooperation in sectors including trade, investment, renewable energy, digital economy, industrial production, transport logistics, and clean energy partnerships.

Furthermore, both sides valued the growing collaboration in transport infrastructure and logistics and welcomed the signing of an agreement on international multimodal transportation. The parties also underscored the importance of cultural, scientific, and media exchanges, as evidenced by several agreements signed between national news agencies and media companies.

Finally, a Letter of Intent on establishing sister city relations between Nakhchivan and Urumqi was signed by Bunyad Huseynov, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to China, and Yakup Paydulla, Mayor of Urumqi, reflecting efforts to expand sub-national partnerships.

Other Meetings

On April 23, Aliyev met with other Chinese leaders in Beijing, where discussions centered on strengthening bilateral ties, including the signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, economic collaboration, and mutual support in international organizations.

During the meeting with Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China, both sides emphasized the successful progress in bilateral relations, citing the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership adopted the previous year. They highlighted significant growth in trade, including a 20% increase in bilateral trade turnover last year, reaching $3.7 billion, and an almost 40% rise in trade during the first quarter of the current year. The discussion also addressed cooperation in transport, logistics, and renewable energy, as well as joint efforts in combating terrorism, extremism, and separatism.

President Ilham Aliyev laid a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Beijing, marking a symbolic gesture of respect. The leaders also explored cooperation in demining and discussed Azerbaijan’s unilateral decision to lift visa requirements for Chinese citizens, seen as an initiative to enhance people-to-people contacts and boost tourism.

Additionally, during a meeting with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, the two sides commended the strategic partnership between their countries and discussed the potential for greater inter-parliamentary cooperation. They also explored avenues for joint collaboration in areas such as governance, renewable energy, and the establishment of a joint Azerbaijan-China University.