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A Chinese company's involvement in a Black Sea port project has stirred political tensions in a country that was once part of the Soviet Union. The Georgian government has faced backlash after deciding to give the port development contract to the Chinese firm, following the termination of an agreement with a consortium that involved Western companies.
Authored by Ivan Nechepurenko
Ivan Nechepurenko toured Georgia to evaluate infrastructure developments undertaken by Chinese firms. For this report, he spoke with government officials, industry insiders, and specialists.
For over a year, demonstrators in Georgia, a country that was once part of the Soviet Union and shares a border with Russia, have been claiming that their government is permitting Moscow to gradually regain influence over their nation.
As you travel through this country of 3.6 million located in the mountainous Caucasus area, you can clearly see the impact of another rising power. In recent years, China has increased its presence in the region by constructing infrastructure and enhancing trade pathways, aiming to strengthen its economic growth.
In the heart of Georgia, Chinese laborers are constructing tall viaducts and carving numerous tunnels through solid rock to create the country's first contemporary highway connecting its eastern and western regions. Meanwhile, in the northern part of the country, China Railway Tunnel Group is drilling a 5.5-mile tunnel through the mountains to widen an existing road leading to Russia.
In the west, efforts are in progress for China Communications Construction Company to build Georgia's inaugural deep-sea port on the Black Sea, a project that forms a part of China's Belt and Road initiative aimed at enhancing infrastructure and trade.
The still-unnamed port has become the focal point of discussions both in Georgia and internationally regarding China's increasing sway in the area and Georgia's shift away from Western alliances. Adding to the controversy is the project's removal from the Anaklia Development Consortium, which included Georgian, European, and American firms, before it was eventually awarded to a Chinese company last May.
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