Georgia has confirmed that China has officially withdrawn from
the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project, with the government instead
opting to develop the strategic Black Sea gateway under direct
state ownership while partnering with multiple international
operators rather than a single foreign consortium,
AzerNEWS reports.
Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili announced that the
government will implement the project through a “landlord model,”
under which the Georgian state will retain ownership of the core
maritime and port infrastructure while overseeing its development
directly.
“The state will remain the sole owner of the port,” Kvrivishvili
stressed, noting that international companies would only be invited
to operate terminals, without acquiring ownership stakes.
The decision marks a significant shift from the previous model.
In 2024, China’s majority state-owned China Communications
Construction Company (CCCC) and its Singapore-registered subsidiary
China Harbour Investment were awarded a 49% stake in the
project.
According to Kvrivishvili, the new approach will allow Georgia
to cooperate simultaneously with several countries and companies,
creating more favorable conditions for attracting cargo flows and
international investment.
She also dismissed speculation that the government intended to
privatize the project, emphasizing that ownership of the port would
remain entirely in state hands.
The minister outlined Georgia’s broader transport strategy,
highlighting plans to invest approximately $7 billion in transport
and logistics infrastructure by 2032, including the Anaklia Port,
the modernization of Georgian Railways, and the completion of
high-speed highways.
She added that cargo turnover increased by 21% year-on-year
during the first four months of 2026 and has grown by 46% over the
past four years, presenting Anaklia as a key component of the
Middle Corridor connecting Europe and Asia.
Kvrivishvili said the project has attracted interest from
neighboring countries, Central Asian states, China, Gulf countries,
and Western companies, while noting that Georgia particularly
welcomes investment from Middle Corridor partners, including China,
the Central Asian states, and Azerbaijan.
Following the announcement, Georgian broadcaster TV Pirveli
reported that investment in the port is expected to come primarily
from Asian countries, including Azerbaijan, rather than Western
partners, with the first terminal operations expected to begin in
2029.
The government made no reference to the Chinese-Singaporean
consortium that had previously won the Anaklia tender, effectively
confirming months of speculation that Beijing had quietly exited
the project.
Rumors of China’s withdrawal first surfaced in November 2025,
although Georgian authorities and Chinese officials declined to
confirm them at the time, maintaining that construction plans
remained on track.
The Anaklia Deep Sea Port is regarded as one of Georgia’s most
strategically important infrastructure projects, designed to
strengthen the country’s role as a logistics hub along the Middle
Corridor linking Europe and Asia. The project traces its origins to
the broader Lazika initiative proposed after the 2004 Rose
Revolution and has continued despite multiple changes in government
and years of political debate.