lørdag 25. desember 2021

Cyprus: The Next Stop of China’s Belt and Road Initiative

In November 2021, China and Cyprus formally announced their strategic partnership on the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties, which is of milestone significance to bilateral relations. The two heads of state decided to upgrade the China-Cyprus relationship to a strategic partnership during a phone conversation. During the call, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said that “the two countries firmly support each other’s core interests and major concerns,” and “have achieved fruitful cooperation in such fields as energy and telecommunications.” In addition, China and Cyprus “are partners in the joint construction of the Belt and Road.”

The Eastern Mediterranean has emerged as a crucial component of the China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI), half of the larger BRI framework. Chinese investments in port facilities and key large-scale infrastructure projects in the Eastern Mediterranean aim to open new trade links between China and the Eurasia-Africa regions.