China's Belt and Road Initiative Expands into the South Caucasus

China is hoping to expand its strategic footprint in the South Caucasus, signing agreements with Azerbaijan and Georgia in recent months designed to expand East-West trade via the Middle Corridor. Those deals, however, appear at this point to be more aspirational than substantial, as they do not involve firm financial commitments. The most recent deals concluded by Beijing were signed in September. The first was a memorandum of understanding with Georgia covering trade – an economic version of a more far-reaching strategic partnership agreement…