But all demonstrated neutrality notwithstanding, China’s interest in the events in the Caucasus is great.
Photo: Alexander Miridonov
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China Studies Energy Potential of Georgia’s War
A delegation of top-rank officials of China’s Communist Party visited Russia in late past week, paying special interest to the war in Georgia. It looks like Beijing has set to studying effect of the recent clashes on its fight for the energy wealth of the Central Asia.
China has been outside Russia’s-Georgia’s battle in the Caucasus, always advocating peaceful settlement of the conflict and avoiding any direct evaluation. To keep good relations with both parties, Beijing provided humanitarian aid both to South Ossetia and Georgia.
But all demonstrated neutrality notwithstanding, China’s interest in events in the Caucasus is great. Similar to Moscow, Beijing is concerned about the plans to lay Trans-Caspian pipelines from Central Asia to Europe via Transcaucasia, and the war that jeopardized implementation of those plans was viewed in China without particular agitation. Besides, the war has opposed Moscow to the West, and the Kremlin will probably decide to surge eastward supplies of energy. So, Beijing might even count on getting direct pipelines from Russia.
China’s delegation arrived in Moscow by invitation of United Russia. The officials met with State Duma Speaker and United Russia Chairman Boris Gryzlov and his deputy Vyacheslav Volodin past Thursday to deliberate on the contacts between two parties and on the situation in the Caucasus. The highlights of the meeting of China’s communists with Russia’s communists and members of the LDPR party were similar.
Having collected all data available, the Chinese headed for the Caucasus. As the direct trip to Tbilisi would have made Moscow suspicious, China’s communists went to Baku by invitation of ruling New Azerbaijan Party. There, they scrutinized moods of Azerbaijan’s elite, paying particular attention to the destiny of Nabucco project.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 15, 2008
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