Azerbaijan Leverages Strategic Partnership with PRC

Azerbaijan Leverages Strategic Partnership with PRC

Executive Summary:

• Azerbaijan has been leveraging its strategic partnership with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and establishing ties through political alignment on the “one-China principle,” investment, technology, and diplomatic support to advance its ambitions in the South Caucasus.
• Baku views cooperation with Beijing as central to developing the Middle Corridor, reducing reliance on Russia and traditional routes, attracting PRC investment, and positioning Azerbaijan as a key Eurasian transport and logistics hub.
• Deepening military, energy, and diplomatic ties with the PRC further solidify Azerbaijan’s regional position but risk complicating its relations with Western partners as Beijing’s influence grows.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described Azerbaijan’s April 2025 comprehensive strategic partnership with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a significant achievement during a January 5 interview with local Azerbaijani media. He stated, “China is one of the leading countries in the world, and this political framework, political platform, of course, can be viewed as evidence of our successful diplomacy” (President of Azerbaijan, January 5). The PRC and Azerbaijan established their comprehensive strategic partnership less than a year after the adoption of their July 2024 strategic partnership (President of Azerbaijan, July 3, 2024). 

Baku and Beijing pledge to safeguard each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and fundamental interests as part of the comprehensive strategic partnership. Specifically, the declaration states, “Azerbaijan firmly opposes any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ and supports the Chinese government in realizing the reunification of the country” (President of Azerbaijan, April 23, 2025; see EDM, May 1, 2025). The pledge to safeguard what each country views as its sovereignty was demonstrated most recently when, during a visit to the PRC on January 28–29, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told PRC-state media outlet Global Times, “Azerbaijan does not recognize the independence of Taiwan … Azerbaijan unequivocally supports the ‘One China’ principle” (Global Times, February 4). 

Baku sees its comprehensive strategic partnership with Beijing as a key to boosting its ambitions in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan seeks to use its strategic partnership with the PRC to secure major investments, defense systems, technology, and political support (see EDM, May 14, September 10, 2025)

Azerbaijan has participated in the PRC’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative to develop its transit infrastructure (see EDM, October 2, 2015, April 12, 2017, September 18, 2018, April 30, May 29, 2019; Special Eurasia, April 23, 2025). The PRC and Azerbaijan adopted the July 2024 joint declaration establishing a strategic partnership on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan (President of Azerbaijan, July 3, 2024; see EDM, July 16, 2024). Baku’s main priority in this declaration was to attract more PRC investment in the Middle Corridor—a trade route that bypasses Russia, starting from Southeast Asia and the PRC and running through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and further to the European Union (see EDM, September 10, 2025). Baku aims to make the trade route more competitive and turn Azerbaijan into a regional transport hub (President of Azerbaijan, July 3, 2024).

Azerbaijan has sought to deepen its military ties with the PRC following the signing of the strategic partnership deal in April 2025. In November 2025, a military parade dedicated to the fifth anniversary of Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Karabakh War against Armenia in 2020 was held at Azadlig Square in Baku. The PRC air defense missile HQ-9 and other PRC-made equipment, such as the HQ-22 and HQ-17AE air defense missiles, were displayed at the Azerbaijani military parade. The PRC-made HQ-9BE long-range air defense system also participated in the military parade. Azerbaijan is now directly engaging in military procurement from Beijing, rather than acquiring PRC systems through intermediaries (Baku.WS, November 8, 2025; Global Times, November 9, 2025).

Azerbaijan has also used its relationship with the PRC to elevate its stature on regional and international forums. For instance, Baku hopes to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) (see EDM, September 16, 2025). In 2024, Azerbaijan sought Beijing’s support to upgrade its status from dialogue partner to observer in the SCO (PRC Embassy to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, July 4, 2024). Under the strategic partnership agreement, Baku is seeking the PRC’s support for full membership in the World Trade Organization (President of Azerbaijan, April 23, 2025). Similarly, Azerbaijan, with the PRC’s help, has shown interest in joining BRICS (President of Azerbaijan, July 3, 2024; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, August 24, 2024). [1]

Baku seeks to work with Beijing to develop its energy sector and build a green energy corridor. Energy sector cooperation is a key component of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement (see EDM, May 14, 2025). In November 2025, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with a visiting delegation from China Datang Corporation Ltd. to discuss green energy projects. The two sides signed a deal to construct a 100-megawatt solar power plant and agreed to explore 2 gigawatts of offshore wind energy, energy storage systems, green energy corridor projects, and the implementation of technical training programs for energy experts in Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy, November 12, 2025).

By virtue of its location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Azerbaijan has the potential to become a viable transit hub between the PRC, Central Asia, and Europe. In his interview on January 5, Aliyev said, “Azerbaijan is, I believe, a priority partner for the People’s Republic of China in this region, both in terms of volumes of trade and potential, and also as a country distributing the flow from the South Caucasus to further destinations, so to speak” (President of Azerbaijan, January 5). For the PRC, a stronger strategic partnership with Azerbaijan will solidify its position in the South Caucasus, which is rapidly emerging as an important player in shaping Eurasian geopolitics.

Azerbaijan’s strengthening strategic partnership with the PRC could affect its long-standing policy of strategic balancing in the next few years. The PRC factor could complicate Baku’s ambitious emergence as the main logistics center in the Middle Corridor and as a bridge to the West.

Note:

[1] BRICS is a loose political-economic grouping originally consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, the PRC, and South Africa.