Last updated: June 11, 2026
China is the world’s second-largest economy with a population of approximately 1.4 billion people and the largest manufacturing base globally. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), governed as a one-party socialist state under the Chinese Communist Party, has emerged as a superpower through rapid economic growth, technological advancement, and strategic infrastructure development. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013, represents a comprehensive strategy to expand economic ties and geopolitical influence across Asia, Africa, Europe, and increasingly the South Caucasus through infrastructure investment, trade partnerships, and financial mechanisms like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
China’s rise as a global power shapes the geopolitical environment in which Armenia operates, particularly through its strategic partnership with Russia and its competition with the United States for influence across Eurasia. Beijing has deepened ties with Moscow in response to Western sanctions and isolation, creating a de facto alignment that affects regional dynamics from Ukraine to the South Caucasus. China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its broader vision of a multipolar world order challenge the U.S.-led international system, creating openings and constraints for smaller states navigating between competing great powers.
China’s Economic Strategy in the South Caucasus
China views the South Caucasus as a critical bridge connecting Central Asia to Europe and bypassing trans-Siberian routes. The Belt and Road Initiative focuses on developing reliable trans-Caspian trade routes, securing energy resources, capturing electric vehicle markets, and establishing logistical footholds in Black Sea ports. In Georgia, Chinese consortia are reviving the stalled Anaklia Deep-Sea Port project to create a major container hub, leveraging Georgia’s tariff-free trade agreement with China. In Azerbaijan, bilateral trade reached approximately $3.74 billion, with Chinese state-owned enterprises investing heavily in petrochemicals, metallurgy, and renewable energy. Azerbaijan has also emerged as a massive market for Chinese EV exports, importing nearly 15,500 hybrid and electric vehicles in a recent year. China has aligned the BRI with Azerbaijan’s domestic “Silk Road Revival” to maximize trans-Caspian multimodal freight integration.
China-Armenia Relations
China’s economic engagement with Armenia remains underdeveloped compared to its partnerships with Azerbaijan and Georgia. Beijing is exploring highway development via the North-South Transport Corridor to better link Armenia to regional trade networks. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Silk Road Fund serve as primary mechanisms for Chinese financing of regional road, rail, and telecommunication upgrades, though Armenian participation lags behind other Caucasus states. China’s technological and innovation cooperation includes digitalization and “Smart Science City” development initiatives, but Armenia has not been prioritized as a hub for these programs. The limited bilateral economic engagement reflects both Armenia’s smaller market size and its historical alignment with Russia, which constrains Chinese investment even as Beijing seeks to expand its economic footprint across the region.
For Armenia, China’s trajectory matters less as a direct economic partner than as a force reshaping the larger contest between Russia and the West—and increasingly, between itself and the West—within which Armenia’s own survival depends.
The Iran War beginning in early 2026 brought China into sharper focus as a factor in Armenian security. Dr. Anatol Lieven and Sergei Melkonian both examined how the war affects energy supplies, de-dollarization, and alternative financial architectures that bypass American control, with China positioned as a potential beneficiary of reduced U.S. dominance in global markets. Prof. Warwick Powell discussed in depth how the war on Iran relates to U.S. energy efficiency, the limits of American airpower, and the rise of alternative payment systems and information networks in which China plays a central role. These conversations illustrated that Armenia’s position in a multipolar order depends partly on whether China and Russia can sustain their partnership, and whether the U.S. can maintain its leverage over regional states despite mounting challenges to its global position.
TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity), the U.S.-backed transit corridor through Armenian Syunik province, is explicitly framed by Washington as a tool to limit Chinese and Russian influence in Central Asia and the Middle East. Multiple episodes have noted that the corridor serves American strategic interests in accessing critical minerals and building logistics networks independent of both Iran and Russia, with secondary implications for containing Chinese Belt and Road expansion in the region. China’s own interests in Eurasian connectivity remain underdeveloped in Armenia-specific analysis, but the competing visions of regional integration between TRIPP and Russian-Chinese alternatives represent a structural choice Armenia cannot avoid indefinitely. Whether Armenia emerges from its current isolation as a node in a U.S., Russian, Chinese, or genuinely multipolar network will depend on outcomes beyond Armenian control, making Armenia’s role in the broader U.S.-China-Russia competition far more consequential than any direct Sino-Armenian relationship.
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with China.
Conversations on Groong - Jan 18, 2023
Episode 209 | Recorded: January 18, 2023
Conversations on Groong - Jan 18, 2023
Episode 209 | Recorded: January 18, 2023
âThis is a repeat of Srebrenica. To gradually strangle and force the people to leave.â -Arthur Khachikyan
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh)
Read MoreâThis is a repeat of Srebrenica. To gradually strangle and force the people to leave.â -Arthur Khachikyan
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh)
Read MoreUsing art to prevent catastrophes instead of reacting to them
Ishkhanyan’s documentary “Sleep art”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzqzPpVsK-g
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh) due to Azerbaijanâs blockade of the Lachin (Berdzor) corridor, as this crisis enters its 25th
Read MoreUsing art to prevent catastrophes instead of reacting to them
Ishkhanyan’s documentary “Sleep art”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzqzPpVsK-g
More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh) due to Azerbaijanâs blockade of the Lachin (Berdzor) corridor, as this crisis enters its 25th
Read MoreEpisode 194 | Recorded: December 26, 2022
Episode 194 | Recorded: December 26, 2022
âPashinyan, why don’t you go and shake Artak Beglaryanâs hand, like you did in Shushi in 2019â - Tevan Poghosyan
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more
Read MoreâPashinyan, why don’t you go and shake Artak Beglaryanâs hand, like you did in Shushi in 2019â - Tevan Poghosyan
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more
Read MoreWeâre going on to Day 6 of the Artsakh Blockade by Azerbaijan, and Groong and 168 Hours are teaming up to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious issue, a major humanitarian crisis in Artsakh in progress.
“We somehow have this complex. We think weâre the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it
Read MoreWeâre going on to Day 6 of the Artsakh Blockade by Azerbaijan, and Groong and 168 Hours are teaming up to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious issue, a major humanitarian crisis in Artsakh in progress.
“We somehow have this complex. We think weâre the sleeping beauty and the west is going to come and save us. And every time that it
Read MoreEpisode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022
Episode 182 | Recorded: December 13, 2022
Episode 174 | Recorded: November 3, 2022
Episode 174 | Recorded: November 3, 2022
Episode 173 | Recorded: November 1, 2022
Episode 173 | Recorded: November 1, 2022
Episode 166 | Recorded: October 1 & 3, 2022
Episode 166 | Recorded: October 1 & 3, 2022
Episode 165 | Recorded: Sunday, September 18, 2022
Episode 165 | Recorded: Sunday, September 18, 2022
The Situation Around Berdzor with Hakob Hakobyan and Davit Galstyan
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Guests / ÕÕµÕ¸ÖÖÕ¥Ö:
Hakob Hakobyan , co-chair of the Artsakh Justice Party. ÕÕ¡Õ¯Õ¸Õ¢ ÕÕ¡Õ¯Õ¸Õ¢ÕµÕ¡Õ¶, Ô±ÖÖÕ¡ÕÕ« Ô±ÖÕ¤Õ¡ÖÕ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¸ÖÕ¶ Ô¿Õ¸ÖÕ½Õ¡Õ¯ÖÕ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Õ¶Õ¡ÕÕ¡Õ£Õ¡Õ°:
David Galstyan(/guest/dgalstyan), leader of the Justice faction in the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh. Ô´Õ¡Õ¾Õ«Õ© Ô³Õ¡Õ¬Õ½Õ¿ÕµÕ¡Õ¶, Ô±ÖÖÕ¡ÕÕ« ÕÕ¡Õ¶ÖÕ¡ÕºÕ¥Õ¿Õ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Ô±Õ¦Õ£Õ¡ÕµÕ«Õ¶ ÔºÕ¸Õ²Õ¸Õ¾Õ«
The Situation Around Berdzor with Hakob Hakobyan and Davit Galstyan
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Guests / ÕÕµÕ¸ÖÖÕ¥Ö:
Hakob Hakobyan , co-chair of the Artsakh Justice Party. ÕÕ¡Õ¯Õ¸Õ¢ ÕÕ¡Õ¯Õ¸Õ¢ÕµÕ¡Õ¶, Ô±ÖÖÕ¡ÕÕ« Ô±ÖÕ¤Õ¡ÖÕ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¸ÖÕ¶ Ô¿Õ¸ÖÕ½Õ¡Õ¯ÖÕ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Õ¶Õ¡ÕÕ¡Õ£Õ¡Õ°:
David Galstyan(/guest/dgalstyan), leader of the Justice faction in the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh. Ô´Õ¡Õ¾Õ«Õ© Ô³Õ¡Õ¬Õ½Õ¿ÕµÕ¡Õ¶, Ô±ÖÖÕ¡ÕÕ« ÕÕ¡Õ¶ÖÕ¡ÕºÕ¥Õ¿Õ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Ô±Õ¦Õ£Õ¡ÕµÕ«Õ¶ ÔºÕ¸Õ²Õ¸Õ¾Õ«
ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 31, 2022
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Episode 149 | Recorded: Monday, July 31, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220731.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - July 31, 2022
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Episode 149 | Recorded: Monday, July 31, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220731.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 10, 2022
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Episode 146 | Recorded: Monday, July 11, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220710.html
#armenian #news
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - July 10, 2022
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Episode 146 | Recorded: Monday, July 11, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220710.html
#armenian #news
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 26, 2022
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Episode 144 | Recorded: Monday, June 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220626.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - June 26, 2022
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Episode 144 | Recorded: Monday, June 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220626.html
Armenian News Network/Groong - Week in Review - June 19, 2022
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Episode 143 | Recorded: Monday, June 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220619.html
Read MoreArmenian News Network/Groong - Week in Review - June 19, 2022
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Episode 143 | Recorded: Monday, June 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220619.html
Read MoreArmenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 29, 2022
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00:00 Introduction
02:27 Russiaâs Geopolitics: Weâll get an update on the war as well as trying to understand what Russiaâs endgame is in Ukraine and how it may affect our region.
23:10 Armenia-Russia Relations: Next, we try to understand the dynamics of Armenia-Russian relations as well as the outlook for the future.
42:38 Israeli Interests and Armenia: Lastly, taking advantage of our guestâs area of expertise, we look at Israeli-Armenian relations, the history of failures in this
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 29, 2022
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00:00 Introduction
02:27 Russiaâs Geopolitics: Weâll get an update on the war as well as trying to understand what Russiaâs endgame is in Ukraine and how it may affect our region.
23:10 Armenia-Russia Relations: Next, we try to understand the dynamics of Armenia-Russian relations as well as the outlook for the future.
42:38 Israeli Interests and Armenia: Lastly, taking advantage of our guestâs area of expertise, we look at Israeli-Armenian relations, the history of failures in this
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 15, 2022
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Episode 137 | Recorded: Tuesday, May 16, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220515.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 15, 2022
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Episode 137 | Recorded: Tuesday, May 16, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220515.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 1, 2022
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Episode 134 | Recorded: Monday, May 2, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220501.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - May 1, 2022
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Episode 134 | Recorded: Monday, May 2, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220501.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 24, 2022
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Episode 133 | Recorded: Monday, April 25, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220424.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 24, 2022
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Episode 133 | Recorded: Monday, April 25, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220424.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 3, 2022
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Episode 131 | Recorded: Sunday, April 4, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220403.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - April 3, 2022
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Episode 131 | Recorded: Sunday, April 4, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220403.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022
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Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html
Armenian News Network/Groong Week in Review - March 20, 2022
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Episode 129 | Recorded: Sunday, March 21, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220320.html
The State of Armeniaâs Economy - March 10, 2022
A Conversation with Vache Gabrielyan
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Dr. Vache Gabrielyan who is the Dean of the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics at the American University of Armenia and specializes in public administration and economics. Since 2008, he has served as Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, Minister of Finance, Minister-Chief of the Government Staff, Chief Advisor
Read MoreThe State of Armeniaâs Economy - March 10, 2022
A Conversation with Vache Gabrielyan
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Dr. Vache Gabrielyan who is the Dean of the Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics at the American University of Armenia and specializes in public administration and economics. Since 2008, he has served as Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Armenia, Minister of Finance, Minister-Chief of the Government Staff, Chief Advisor
Read MoreANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022
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Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - March 6, 2022
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Episode 126 | Recorded: Sunday, March 6, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220306.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 27, 2022
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Episode 125 | Recorded: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220227.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 27, 2022
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Episode 125 | Recorded: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220227.html
Armeniaâs Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan
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Armeniaâs Regional Challenges - February 26, 2022 A Conversation with Tatev Hayrapetyan
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Roundup on the Ukraine Crisis - February 22, 2022
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Episode 123 | Recorded on Friday, February 22, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220222.html
Roundup on the Ukraine Crisis - February 22, 2022
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Episode 123 | Recorded on Friday, February 22, 2022 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20220222.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 20, 2022
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Episode 121 | Recorded: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220220.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 20, 2022
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Episode 121 | Recorded: Sunday, February 20, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220220.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 13, 2022
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Episode 119 | Recorded: Sunday, February 14, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220213.html
ANN/Groong Week in Review - February 13, 2022
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Episode 119 | Recorded: Sunday, February 14, 2022 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20220213.html