U.S. Helsinki Commission Reprimands Georgian Dream for “Surrendering”Anaklia Port to Chinese Control
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers on the Helsinki Commission expressed strong concern on April 2 over the Georgian Dream government’s decision to award development rights for the strategic Anaklia water port to a Chinese conglomerate that includes U.S.-sanctioned companies.
Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the commission, joined by co-chairman Rep. Joe Wilson, and other members, said that the move could jeopardize Georgia’s democratic future and increase Chinese influence in the Black Sea region.
“We are troubled by reports of Georgian Dream’s decision to surrender control of its Anaklia deep-sea port to a CCP [Chinese Communist Party] backed, U.S.-sanctioned conglomerate,” the commissioners said in a joint statement. The statement called out the China Communications Construction Company, one of the developers reportedly involved in the project, citing its track record of exploiting host nations through infrastructure development and fostering economic dependency.
“China’s growing presence in the Black Sea, in collaboration with Russia, makes the region less safe and restricts free trade and commerce,” the statement reads. Lawmakers urged the ruling Georgian Dream party to reconsider the deal, which is expected to be finalized in mid-April, and to conduct a transparent bidding process for the port’s development.
The commissioners also warned that putting the port under Chinese control would mean giving up a key national asset to a government that does not share Georgia’s democratic values or its goal of joining Western security alliances, threatening the country’s long-term security.
The statement comes just a day after Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Levan Davitashvili, met with U.S. Ambassador Robin Dunnigan in Tbilisi to discuss economic cooperation with the United States. The two sides reviewed opportunities for joint work under the new U.S. administration, including in areas such as trade, innovation, logistics, energy, and development of the Middle Corridor.
On May 29, 2024 Levan Davitashvili announced that the winner in the Anaklia Deep Sea Port private partnership selection competition is the Chinese-Singaporean consortium. China Communication Construction Company was blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Commerce for building artificial islands in the South China Sea for military purposes.
Also Read:
- 30/05/2024 – Domestic Reactions to Granting of Anaklia Port to Chinese Consortium
- 19/03/2024 – International Tender for Anaklia Port Marine Infrastructure Announced
- 22/09/2023 – Chinese-Singaporean and Swiss-Luxembourg Consortia Finalists in Anaklia Port Partnership Competition
- 06/09/2023 – Chinese Ambassador Confirms Chinese Interest in Anaklia Port
- 20/02/2023 – Government Announces Call for Expression of Interest for Anaklia Deep Sea Port
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