The relations and affinities among Armenian and Chinese—and other Asian—civilizations date back to ancient times. They carry strategic importance in the modern period as well. Common cultural, philosophical, spiritual, and geopolitical underpinnings combine to project tectonic quality to the process, substance, sustainability, and structures of humanity into the future.A once-powerful, flourishing country on the European and Asian crossroads, Armenia has served as a vital link between the two continents for millennia through which the eastern and western values were merged. The proof of that link was the Great Silk Road, an integral part of which was Armenia. These were times when Armenian products were widely known in Chinese markets, and ships of Armenian merchants reached the eastern ports of Asia to Hong Kong.According to historical sources, Armenians were mentioned in China for the first time in the 2nd Century. They exported silk, carpets, herbs and other products, and the small Armenian colonies were founded after the first Mongol invasions at the beginning of the 13th Century when thousands of Armenians captured from Armenia were resettled in northern China. Later they penetrated deep into the country and settled in the coastal cities, in particular in Canton.The position of Armenian merchants in the Chinese trade was already noticeable in the 17-18 Centuries. They had the same rights as Englishmen, their own ships, and factories. The social composition of Chinese Armenians was varied. The inhabitants of the South were mainly tradesmen and intellectuals (doctors, engineers, advocates) and mostly craftsmen in the East. Armenian doctors enjoyed great popularity.Armenia, as the first state to accept Christianity as a national religion in 301, has constituted even in the historical intervals of its statelessness an existential source of both European and Asian civilizations. As such, and especially after gaining state sovereignty in 1991, the country continues to bear the key potential with its native sons and daughters spread out worldwide, which is able to unite the dividing lines that appear from time to time between civilizations.Some people think of us as a unique nation, attributing a quality that is special to the world: the Armenian is capable of adapting very quickly to any situation and accepting the right decision. It is said that it is a characteristic feature of this genocide-surviving nation or its descendants which comes from the massacres and great national dispossession of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the 20th Century. It is hard to say how relevant this idea is, but the fact that the Armenian has managed to overcome the trials and tribulations of history and reach up to our days means some unusual feature, the viability of some hereditary gene, perhaps.Our friendly China also had many difficulties in the past: In ancient times, the forays of the nomadic tribes, internal clashes between the Dynasties and long rifts were always present in the country. One of the character traits of this nation is the emphasis on tolerance towards foreigners. The Chinese are hardworking, peaceful and creative people. It is not in vain that China is considered a cradle of eastern civilization, of philosophic thought, and a homeland of oriental medicine.These qualities—in Armenians the rapid adaptability and the ability to find the right grip, and among Chinese their diligence and pride—are extremely important qualities in the rapidly evolving world of today, where the transformations of technology, science, political structure, and world-view systems have become unprecedented. Inter-state relations are not free from these changes, which is understandable since there are no countries on this planet left untouched by geopolitical, economic and cultural processes.Everything lies in connectivity and interdependency. Internal changes in the United States and the European Union affect the financial assistance to developing countries, thereby changing the situation in these countries. On the other hand, there are problems that cannot be solved by any country alone: Environmental disasters, conflicts, the inflow of refugees, terrorism, among many others. Natural and man-made disasters, which existed in the past, are present and probably will continue to remain both the most serious national and civilizational world-class challenge. The effectiveness of the fight against them depends on the depth and breadth of the jointly designed and implemented policy aimed at strengthening peace, stability, and cooperation.At the interstate level, Armenian-Chinese relations should be considered in this context. Naturally, these relations are strong because they are anchored in centuries-old friendship and are distinguished by mutual trust and respect. 27 years ago, with the establishment of diplomatic relations between our states, we announced the launch of a new stage of cooperation, creating favorable prerequisites for expanding and deepening inter-state ties. This is the case when relationships are actually bilateral, but they touch a wider range of interests.That is the reason we have a great deal of responsibility and satisfaction with the political dialogue between our countries, close cooperation, the mutual understanding on issues that are important in international structures and in regional and supranational instances. Sustainable and lasting inter-state relations are based on both substantive and spiritual rapprochement of the two peoples and the friendly feelings towards each other, which are achieved through the consistent reinforcement and development of economic and especially educational and cultural ties.Culture is the nation’s spirit, the language that is accessible to all peoples of the world without an interpreter. The Confucius Institute and the Chinese School of Advanced Studies in Yerevan, as well as the Armenian Studies Center, opened at the Foreign Language University in Dalian, are dedicated to the promotion of Chinese and Armenian cultural values, establishing free contacts between future generations, and mastering each other’s cultures. The factor of educational institutions in Armenian-Chinese relations is symbolic. Kuan Chung, a prominent statesman and philosopher, has told the generations: “If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children.”For us, the option of educating people is the most preferred, because classical institutions and organizations will gradually withdraw from the 21st Century by giving way to the individual citizen—with his wide range of thinking and adaptability in the 21st Century, and to her innovative mind and ideas. No matter how much the technologies, artificial intelligence systems and other accelerators of scientific and technical progress will advance, the key value of the era of rebuilding the world and creating a new reality will be a human being, an educated specialist.Armenia and China also see collaboration within the framework of the Forum of Ancient Civilizations, where they are members with seven other countries—Bolivia, Greece, Egypt, Italy, Iran, Iraq, and Peru. These are the countries that have undertaken commitments to promote tolerance, cultural diversity, and dialogue among civilizations. The Forum is designed to protect and preserve cultural and humanitarian heritage, creative transformation, innovative development of traditional culture and harmonious and multifaceted exchange of civilizations.China is a macro-civilization that can enrich Armenia with its culture and at the same time enjoy the Armenian culture by communicating with the world treasury of Narekatsi’s poetry, Momik’s miniature painting, Tamanyan’s architectural talent, Komitas’ enchanting melodies, and the Armenian Khachkar (cross-stone) miracle.The rapid progress of the country is, of course, anchored in a knowledge-based economy that needs a solid foundation for the development of science and education. The International College of Dilijan (UWC), the American, French and Slavonic Universities of Yerevan, the Tumo Creative Technologies Center where they teach 12-18-year-old children subjects related to information technology, are serving to this purpose now. The Confucius Institute has also become a unique platform for Armenian-Chinese cooperation. And as a result, Armenia has taken unprecedented strides in IT and precision engineering and continues to multiply its achievements.Another important area of Armenian-Chinese joint interests, where, unfortunately, along with visible success there are still some unused opportunities, is the arena of economic cooperation. China is Armenia’s second-largest trade and economic partner after the Russian Federation. The trade turnover between the two countries has been steadily deteriorating over the past few years, fluctuating within the range of $ 350-550 million. By way of comparison, in case of neighboring Georgia this figure is 2.5-3 times higher. According to some expert estimates, in 2018-2030 China will have an annual average of 8 percent growth in imports.Clothing, footwear, machinery and chemical products, equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs, etc. are exported from China to Armenia. The range of products exported from Armenia to China is more modest - minerals, including copper and gold concentrate, agricultural products, cognac, wine. Every year, the Chinese government provides a substantial amount of assistance to Armenia—Chinese buses, ambulances, and more.Armenia is one of the few countries that did not experience major domestic political tensions as a result of a non-violent, bloodless “velvet” revolution in April and May 2018, and now stands far ahead of many countries in the region according to the indicators of democracy, rule of law, human rights and other progress, which is an important precondition for investment attractiveness. Effective measures to seriously reform the investment climate in the post-revolutionary Armenia are envisaged starting with the changes in tax legislation.Today Armenia has free trade agreements with CIS countries with a population of about 250 million. By joining the EAEU, the country gained free access to a 170 million common market, the right to import raw materials for EAEU and privileged import conditions for 750 products from third countries.The Armenian side has expressed readiness to become a center of interest for Asian businessmen, suggesting that they explore the possibilities of establishing regional headquarters of other Chinese and other Asian companies in Armenia. The energy sector can be particularly attractive for businesses, involvement in the North-South highway, or Armenia-Iran railroad construction—all in line with the Silk Road initiative.The Great Silk Road brand, as well as its new the “Belt and Rood” initiative, can provide effective cooperation in tourism, which is important not only from the economic point of view but also from the intercultural dialogue. Tourism in Armenia is one of the most dynamically developing branches. This, in its turn, will boost the development of aviation, including ultimately a Yerevan-Beijing direct flight, which is the “weak link” of the Armenian-Chinese relationship. Because of Armenia’s rich cultural heritage, geographical location and other factors, the tourism destination promise good prospects for potential investors.China is a culture-based country. It has a long history, a powerful economy, advanced technology, rich national traditions and leading positions in international politics. All this will give it the courage to take on the role of an axis of peacekeeping, stability, values of humanism in the region for the sake of Asian civilizations and universal common future of mankind and for the sake of a united, safe, peaceful Middle Eastern and Eurasian region. Civilizational, geographical, historical-cultural realities speak of this prospect.Soon the Chinese embassy will have a new building in Yerevan, the first floor of which was laid in August 2017. It covers an area of about 40 thousand square meters and is the second largest in the Eurasia region. This beautiful structure reflects the nature of the friendly relations between Armenia and China, the growing scale of cooperation and the vision of a secure future.The geographical distance that exists between our countries, in large part, is not an obstacle to Armenian-Chinese relations. There were no barriers two thousand years ago, and there cannot be in the 21st century. I remember the ingenious description of one of the Chinese Embassy’s employees in this regard: “Distance cannot separate true friends.”One cannot say it any better.