BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 24. The partnership between Azerbaijan and China has really taken off in recent years, blossoming across various sectors and becoming a key player on both the economic and political chessboard.
As part of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's official visit to the People's Republic of China, a "Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" was signed, laying the foundation for a new chapter in Azerbaijan-China relations.
The recent signing of a mutual visa exemption agreement for ordinary passport holders by the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and China really puts the icing on the cake, highlighting the fast track that bilateral relations are on.
Meanwhile, expectations are mounting around the strategic potential of the Zangezur corridor — a key transit route poised to strengthen regional connectivity and unlock new economic opportunities.
Speaking to Trend, economist Eldeniz Amirov emphasized that the agreement presents wide-ranging opportunities. From now on, Azerbaijani entrepreneurs can travel to China for exhibitions, business negotiations, and other purposes without needing a visa. This creates, according to him, real prospects for both diversifying imports and promoting Azerbaijani goods—particularly agricultural and food products—in the Chinese market.
He also mentioned that Chinese investors will now have the green light to visit Azerbaijan without a visa, which could open the floodgates for investment in industrial zones, technology parks, and innovation projects.
Amirov shone a light on the rising hopes tied to the Zangezur Corridor and how it could put Azerbaijan on the map as a logistics powerhouse.
“Azerbaijan's position as a regional logistics hub continues to solidify. There is also a growing potential for the integration of Chinese technologies into the country through collaborative development projects.
China’s experience in the field of green energy offers strategic support to Azerbaijan’s energy transition goals. In addition, Beijing’s interest in Azerbaijan’s intellectual property ecosystem may create new international commercialization opportunities for local tech startups,” he said.
Amirov highlighted that tourism will likely be one of the first and most noticeable benefits of the new developments.
"China is among the top countries globally for outbound tourism, with 87 million Chinese citizens traveling abroad in 2023. Redirecting a fraction of this flow to Azerbaijan would give a substantial boost to the tourism sector.
Azerbaijan's designation as the 26th country to have mutual visa requirements lifted with China marks a significant demonstration of strategic trust from the Chinese government.
The key point I want to emphasize is that China has evolved into a global economic powerhouse with potential that extends far beyond its borders. It is actively seeking new, reliable partners for expansion, and in this context, Azerbaijan stands out as both a trusted and strategically essential ally. While the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and China is expected to grow by 27.7 percent in 2024, reaching $3.7 billion, this figure remains well below its true potential. The expansion of mutual investment and trade opportunities could significantly amplify this number in the future.
As of today, China has signed mutual visa-free travel agreements with 25 countries, and Azerbaijan has become the 26th to join this list. This move is a clear indication of the strategic trust that Beijing has placed in our country.
In essence, the outcomes of this visit are expected to shape relations for years to come, making it a visit of exceptional strategic significance," the economist noted.
Meanwhile, MP Vugar Bayramov emphasizes that the shift to a visa-free regime between Azerbaijan and China will further strengthen the strategic and economic ties between the two nations.
He highlighted that in 2024, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Azerbaijan surged nearly twofold (1.9 times), reaching 45,000:
"In the first quarter of this year, the number of visitors from China to Azerbaijan grew by 1.8 times, with approximately 9,000 Chinese citizens visiting. Meanwhile, the number of tourists traveling to China saw a 61 percent increase, reaching 132 million, generating 6.4 trillion yuan in revenue for China," he said.
