Lu Mei on Baku-Beijing co-op priorities: Middle Corridor, green energy, AI – INTERVIEW

April 23, 2025, is a turning point in the development of Azerbaijani-Chinese relations. On this day, Baku and Beijing signed the Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, thereby opening a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

Reaching the level of strategic partnership has allowed Azerbaijan and China to begin implementing a large package of major projects; the countries have launched a visa-free regime, and cooperation is covering an increasing number of areas - from politics and economics to humanitarian exchanges.

In April of last year, the new Ambassador of the PRC to Azerbaijan, Lu Mei, also took up her duties. In an interview with Report, the head of the Chinese diplomatic mission in Baku summed up her first year of work, spoke about the dynamics of bilateral relations, the growth of trade turnover, and key areas of cooperation.

- Madam Ambassador, you assumed your diplomatic mission in April of last year, and this period has coincided with a notable intensification of Chinese-Azerbaijani relations. What is your assessment of the current state and the dynamics of bilateral cooperation over the past year?

- From April 22 to 24, 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev paid a state visit to China, during which, together with President Xi Jinping, he announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan, opening a new historic chapter in Chinese-Azerbaijani relations.

Indeed, on April 14 of last year, I arrived in Baku and assumed my duties. On the third day after I arrived in Azerbaijan, I had the honor of presenting my credentials to President Ilham Aliyev. At the same time, immediately after taking office, I participated in an important event - President Ilham Aliyev's visit to China.

As the tenth Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan, I am very pleased to see that over the past year, close exchanges between the two countries have been maintained across various fields and departments. Guided by the consensus of the leaders of the two countries, both sides have deepened political mutual trust, unlocked cooperation potential, promoted mutual understanding between the peoples, and brought the China-Azerbaijan comprehensive strategic partnership to a new stage of all-around development.

Firstly, bilateral exchanges are becoming more frequent. After President Ilham Aliyev's state visit to China in April 2025, the Azerbaijani leader visited the PRC for the second time from August 30 to September 3 to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin and the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Last year, the deputy prime minister, the deputy chair of the Azerbaijani parliament, the presidential assistant, the minister of energy, the minister of health, the minister of science and education, and other high-ranking Azerbaijani representatives also visited China, and the number of mutual visits between the two countries reached a record level. In 2026, close high-level contacts between the two countries continued. Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov and Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova paid visits to China. During the visits, they held in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and cooperation between the legislative bodies of the two countries.

Secondly, political mutual trust is continuously strengthening. President Ilham Aliyev has clearly expressed support for all efforts of the Chinese government aimed at achieving national reunification. The Azerbaijani side has repeatedly made public statements affirming its commitment to the One China principle and condemning separatist forces advocating for Taiwan's independence. The Chinese side, as before, will firmly support Azerbaijan in its aspiration to follow a development path consistent with its national circumstances, as well as in defending its key interests and ensuring the country's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity. Ilham Aliyev clearly stated that the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the four global initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in the world, and that the Azerbaijani side highly values and actively supports them. China and Azerbaijan, as countries of the Global South, carry out effective cooperation within such multilateral mechanisms as the UN, the SCO, and CICA, jointly practicing true multilateralism and upholding international equality and justice.

Thirdly, the pragmatic cooperation has yielded fruitful outcomes. Leveraging their unique advantages, namely the complementary economic structures of China and Azerbaijan and the alignment of cooperation concepts, both sides are deepening comprehensive practical cooperation, taking high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road as the main line, which has enabled the integration of China's high-quality production capacities with Azerbaijan's development needs. Last year, bilateral trade between China and Azerbaijan reached $4.87 billion, breaking records for the third consecutive time and maintaining a high growth rate. At the beginning of this year, China became Azerbaijan's third-largest trading partner for the first time. Thanks to the mutual visa-free regime, contacts between the citizens of the two countries have noticeably strengthened, the potential for cooperation in the tourism sector continues to unfold, and exchanges at the regional level, as well as in the fields of science and technology, education, and think tank interactions, have significantly intensified.

Since I was appointed an ambassador to Azerbaijan, I have conducted extensive exchanges with representatives of various circles and visited many regions of the country, which has allowed me to fully experience how the friendship between China and Azerbaijan is passed down from generation to generation and grows stronger over time. The year 2026 is the first year of implementation of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, and in the same year, China-Azerbaijan relations will mark their 35th anniversary. Looking ahead, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan has broad prospects and enormous opportunities. The Chinese side is ready to work together with the Azerbaijani side, guided by the important consensus of the heads of the two states, to carry forward the traditions of mutual support and friendship, jointly share the opportunities of modernized development, and make a greater contribution to promoting the development of China-Azerbaijan relations.

- You noted that in 2025, the volume of bilateral trade between Azerbaijan and China approached $5 billion. What measures do both sides plan to take to further develop bilateral trade? In which areas do the two countries have potential for expanding trade and economic cooperation?

- Against the backdrop of improving bilateral relations, trade and economic cooperation between the two countries has gained powerful development momentum. As I already mentioned, last year the trade turnover reached $4.87 billion, having increased by 30.2% year-on-year. It is worth noting that in January-February of this year, the volume of bilateral trade between the two countries reached $780 million, and China, as I already said, for the first time became Azerbaijan's third-largest trading partner.

Not only has the scale of trade between the two countries increased, but the quality and level of practical cooperation have also significantly improved. Enterprises with Chinese capital participation are actively implementing projects in Azerbaijan in such areas as electricity generation from new energy sources, automobile manufacturing, information and communication technologies, and construction materials production. China and Azerbaijan are jointly working on the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative, and the Trans-Caspian China–Europe route ensures key deliveries of goods via the Middle Corridor and plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the global production and supply chain.

The Chinese side has also implemented in Azerbaijan the largest photovoltaic and wind energy production projects in the South Caucasus, as well as ceramic tile and electric bus projects. As President Ilham Aliyev noted in a media interview at the beginning of this year, pragmatic cooperation with China was a strategic decision by Azerbaijan, and the professionalism, quality, and speed of project execution confirm the correctness of this choice. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has opened trade houses in six Chinese cities, and an increasing number of high-quality goods under the "Made in Azerbaijan" brand are entering the Chinese market, enjoying great popularity among consumers.

Looking to the future, it can be said that the potential for pragmatic cooperation between China and Azerbaijan is enormous, and there are still many opportunities for further development. Beijing is ready to share with Baku its world-leading advantages in high-tech manufacturing, artificial intelligence, the information industry, infrastructure, and other areas, and looks forward to more high-quality products from Azerbaijan appearing on the Chinese market.

China is also ready to work jointly with the Azerbaijani side to continue strengthening the coordinating and guiding role of the intergovernmental commission mechanism on trade and economic cooperation, in order to promote the high-quality development of bilateral practical cooperation.

- You mentioned the role of the Middle Corridor... As you know, Azerbaijan is actively developing this route. What measures will be taken this year to scale up transport along the route?

- In China, the Middle Corridor is also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. China attaches great importance to the significant role of the TITR in strengthening regional interconnectivity, promoting regional economic development, and ensuring the stability of global production and supply chains.

In September 2013, President Xi Jinping put forward the initiative for the joint construction of the Belt and Road, the goal of which is to inherit the spirit of the Silk Road, create a platform for open cooperation, and give new impetus to the development of various countries.

In October 2023, President Xi Jinping, at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, announced eight steps in support of the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, the first of which is "intensifying the high-quality development of China–Europe container freight trains and joining the construction of the TITR." This important initiative gave a powerful impetus to the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the TITR.

Since 2024, the Chinese cities of Xi'an, Nanjing, Chongqing, Urumqi, Lianyungang, and Yiwu have launched trans-Caspian China–Europe freight trains, with more than one such train running daily on average. In 2025, the volume of cargo transportation along the TITR reached a new record of 4.7 million tons. In the first quarter of this year, a total of 85 train sets were dispatched along the Xi'an trans-Caspian China–Europe freight train route, representing a year-on-year increase of 150%. China has become the largest source of goods for the TITR, significantly enhancing the development potential of this route.

China will continue to implement the Belt and Road project jointly with the Azerbaijani side and increase the throughput capacity of the TITR. I would also like to emphasize that China is ready to actively facilitate the signing of intergovernmental international agreements on road transportation with Azerbaijan, in order to elevate road communication and cross-border transport cooperation between the two countries to a new level.

- China has shown great interest in Azerbaijan's renewable energy projects. What other new projects will be implemented by the two countries in this area?

- Cooperation in the field of renewable energy is an important area of pragmatic cooperation between China and Azerbaijan. The green development concepts of the two countries largely coincide. It is Chinese technologies and equipment that open up opportunities for Azerbaijan to achieve green development. Cooperation in the field of renewables between China and Azerbaijan has yielded fruitful results. Chinese-funded enterprises have joined the implementation of large-scale cooperation projects in this area, such as photovoltaic and wind energy, and have achieved a number of important results.

In October 2023, a 230-megawatt solar power plant in Gobustan, built by a Chinese company, was successfully connected to Azerbaijan's power grid for electricity generation. This was the first large-scale RES project in which China participated in Azerbaijan.

In June 2025, Azerbaijan's largest thermal power plant, November 8, was commissioned in Mingachevir, with the participation of Chinese companies in its construction. President Ilham Aliyev called it "a good example of international cooperation."

In January 2026, I attended the commissioning ceremony of the Khizi - Absheron wind energy project, implemented by a Chinese company. This is the largest wind energy project in the South Caucasus region. It is expected to provide electricity to over 300,000 households and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 tons, as well as make an important contribution to the sustainable development of Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus region.

China looks forward to further expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in the field of renewables to promote energy transformation and sustainable socio-economic development of the two countries, as well as to advance global cooperation in the field of clean energy.

- China boasts a high-level AI development. What cooperation can China and Azerbaijan carry out in this area?

- In just a few years, AI has transformed from exhibits at shows into technology in the homes of ordinary people, expanding the capabilities of thousands of industries in China. Currently, China is the world's largest holder of AI patents. The volume of the country's core AI market has exceeded 1.2 trillion yuan [$165.5 billion], and the number of specialized enterprises exceeds 6,200, making it an important driver of global intelligent transformation.

The main provisions of China's 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development state that in comprehensively implementing the 'Artificial Intelligence+' action plan, it is necessary to more actively integrate artificial intelligence into the development of industrial sectors, cultural construction, ensuring people's well-being, and social governance, and to seize the commanding heights in the process of introducing AI into production to comprehensively stimulate the development of various industries. The Chinese government's work report has mentioned Artificial Intelligence+ technology for three consecutive years. This year, it proposes for the first time to "create new forms of intelligent economy." Thus, China will expand the scale and depth of AI applications to comprehensively stimulate the development of various industries.

AI is the common asset of all humanity. The rapid development of AI in China is not only the result of promoting a high level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-sufficiency, but also the result of China's consistent adherence to the concept of joint consultation, construction, and sharing, encouraging open source and openness, and promoting AI accessibility. President Xi Jinping proposed the Initiative on Global AI Governance, and China put forward the Artificial Intelligence+ international cooperation initiative to offer a Chinese solution for global AI governance. Therefore, I want to say that we are ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation with all parties and work together to create an open, inclusive, mutually beneficial, and win-win development environment, so that AI truly becomes an international public good characterized by shared benefits and advantages.

Last year, President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving the "Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025-2028" and the "Digital Economy Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2026-2029." This fully demonstrated that the development strategies of the two countries coincide in many respects. The Chinese side is ready to share advanced technologies and AI development experience with the Azerbaijani side, strengthen capacity in the field of technology through exchanges on policy measures, technical support, personnel training, and joint research, promote bridging the digital divide, and jointly move toward a bright digital future and smart future.

- Since July of last year, China and Azerbaijan have introduced a mutual visa-free regime. How has this affected tourism between the two countries? Which regions of Azerbaijan are most popular among Chinese tourists? Do the two countries plan to open new flight routes?

- During President Ilham Aliyev's visit to China in April last year, the heads of the two states witnessed the signing of the Agreement between the Governments of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Azerbaijan on mutual visa exemption. As President Ilham Aliyev stated in an interview with Chinese media: "If only 1% of the 150 million Chinese citizens who travel abroad each year come to Azerbaijan, this will be sufficient for the country. Indeed, this is very good news for the citizens of Azerbaijan. They can simply buy a ticket and come to China."

Thanks to the visa-free regime, the number of mutual tourist visits between the two countries continues to grow. Azerbaijan is attracting an increasing number of Chinese tourists with its unique charm that combines tradition and modernity, as well as Eastern and Western cultures. Icherisheher, the Gobustan rock carvings, the Heydar Aliyev Center, and other sites have become new popular tourist destinations. More than 60,000 Chinese citizens visited Azerbaijan in 2025, which is a record figure.

The positive impact of mutual visa exemption is not limited to the development of cooperation in the sphere of tourism and people-to-people exchanges. This measure also significantly deepens communication and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries. Since last year, many well-known internet bloggers from Azerbaijan have visited China. They posted on Instagram and other social media photos of the modern appearance of major Chinese megacities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Chengdu, as well as the beautiful scenery of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, Zhangjiajie, and the ancient city of Kashgar. At the same time, some Azerbaijani bloggers published guides on using social media and bank cards in China to help those wishing to prepare for studying and traveling in China. Many of my friends from Azerbaijan have started trying Chinese cuisine, and dishes such as roast duck, Chinese hotpot, ramen, and fried dumplings are very popular. More and more young people in Azerbaijan are beginning to learn Chinese, and many young people can sing Chinese songs well and perform shows in the Chinese style.

As for the expansion of the number of flights, today China Southern Airlines and Azerbaijan Airlines have launched direct flights between the two countries, operating more than a dozen flights per week between Beijing, Urumqi, and Baku, which greatly facilitates travel for the people of the two countries. In the future, our embassy, as always, will provide support and convenience for all those wishing to get to know China, understand it, and learn the Chinese language. We also invite more friends from Azerbaijan to visit China and experience the vitality and the profound, centuries-old cultural charm of modern China.