The Chinese President Xi Jinping recently extended congratulations to Mikheil Kavelashvili on his assumption of the Georgian presidency following last month’s elections.

In a formal letter, President Xi emphasized the ongoing "positive development momentum" in the strategic partnership between China and Georgia, as reported by the Chinese Foreign Office on Friday. He highlighted the mutual goal of consolidating political trust, achieving significant outcomes in Belt and Road cooperation, and fostering productive international collaboration.

“I attach great importance to the development of China-Georgia relations and am willing to work with the [Georgian] President to continue the traditional friendship between the two countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, promote greater development of China-Georgia relations, and better benefit the people of the two countries,” President Xi stated in the letter.

Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected as the sixth President of Georgia on December 14 by an electoral college, marking a significant transition in the country’s electoral process from universal suffrage to the new system.