China labels Georgia’s parliamentary elections as ‘smooth’

ANKARA

China on Tuesday described Georgia's parliamentary elections, which favored the pro-Russia ruling party, as “smooth,” emphasizing its respect for the choice of the Georgian people.

“Georgia has held a smooth parliamentary election. We respect the choice of the Georgian people and sincerely wish the country stability and prosperity,” said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, in a post on X.

He added that China is prepared to collaborate with Georgia to “further advance bilateral relations.”

Preliminary results indicate that the ruling Georgian Dream party won with 53.93% of the vote in Saturday's elections. Opposition parties, including the Coalition for Change with 11.03%, Unity-UNM with 10.16%, Strong Georgia with 8.81%, and Gakharia for Georgia with 7.77%, received smaller shares.

Lin’s comments came after Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili announced her refusal to acknowledge the election results, citing Russian interference aimed at consolidating influence in Georgia.

Zourabichvili condemned the election process, calling it a case of “hybrid warfare” and part of a Russian strategy to extend its reach into Georgian politics. She insisted that Georgia's European future was at stake, stating: “We reject Russia’s infiltration and occupation.”

Aligning with the opposition, Zourabichvili urged international allies to “protect Georgia by standing with the people, not an illegitimate government.”