Participant of the international South Caucasus media forum "The role of media in building confidence in the region", which takes place in Tbilisi on September 5-6, Dmitry Kosyrev, expert in Oriental studies, told Eurasia Diary about China's growing role amid economic sanctions imposed by the U.S and its vision of the role of major powers in working with small countries including Transcaucasia.

He stressed that China is the first economy in the world and Trump's successful policy can temporarily lead America back to the first place, but in any case, China and the United States will change their places from time to time.

"The idea in this situation that can cause rivalry now turns into a trade war, which America started against China. It turns out that this idea is completely ridiculous, which destroys both participants. Moreover, perhaps this idea does not work at all, and we can go back to the situation of full integration of the world economy, when already ousting each other neither by legal methods nor by any other will not be feasible and in this world economy China will be in first place, in the second place - India, and then the United States and other countries of the West, "the expert said.

Dmitry Kosyrev noted that the project launched in 2010 by the People's Republic of China under the title "One belt and one way" is a brilliant generalization of everything that makes China overseas.

"All of China's policy, which was minimalist in the 1990s, now flees to building a path for something that will work in the future. Strangely enough, the most interesting instance here is Africa, with which the West could not do anything, considering it as a completely failing, while China looks at it differently.

They have a lot of production there, to which they are pulling logistics like roads, and Africa can become the next workshop of the world after China. If this happens, then China will have a moral authority sufficient for the world to be run by China. We will not imagine this, only because China does not try to influence any of its partners, just as we do not ask China to solve our problems, "the expert said.

On the example of China, Dmitry Kosyrev tried to explain how it is necessary to work with small countries, including scrutinizing the problems of Transcaucasia.

"Coming back to the problems of Transcaucasia, I believe that people who live there must solve the problems. And if you need any help, then you can offer your options and carefully look at who you are dealing with. I recall in my mind the situation of 80’s, when the best friend of the United States in the Middle East was Saddam Hussein. The U.S struggled with Iran, in which the revolution just passed and handed weapons to Saddam that he fought against Iran. At the end of Reagan's reign, the real story was revealed that the United States sold weapons to Iran, too, and negotiated on particular issues with them on permanent bases. Everyone were in utter perplexity, after which Saddam meets with the American ambassador and informs him of his intention to stop fighting with Iran, and with the help of Kuwait plans to solve the oil problem. "Don’t you mind?” He says. The answer was that the U.S are not interested in Iraq's relations with Kuwait. Saddam attacks Kuwait and then America comes and starts a war with Iraq. The experience of such a settlement in the region is a sad experience, and any country, whether China, Russia, Turkey, Iran, etc., should simply take into consideration how to work with small countries that ask for help and support, "the expert concluded.

Expert in Oriental studies and writer Dmitry Kosyrev is a participant in a number of popular political programs on the TV channels "First", "Tsargrad", "OTP", political observer MIA "Russia Today".

Let us remind the international South Caucasus media forum "The role of the media in building confidence in the region" will last in Tbilisi until Friday, inclusive. The main agenda of the discussion will be the peculiarities of regional political culture, traditions and current trends in the activities of the media of the South Caucasus states, the political and legal foundations of their status, as well as the potential of media communities in overcoming conflicts and strengthening stability in the region The main topic of the discussion will be the peculiarities of regional political culture, traditions and current trends in the activities of the media of the South Caucasus states, the political and legal foundations of their status, as well as the potential of media communities in overcoming (dispute settlement) conflicts and strengthening stability in the region.

Within the framework of the event, discussion panels, lectures by well-known journalists and political scientists for young journalists and observers will be held.

In addition to Georgian representatives, leading experts in the field of media industry, journalistic, government officials and bloggers from Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia take part in forum.  Organizers of the forum are Russian Political Center “North- South”, Press-club “Unity” and the newspaper “Georgia and the World”.

Interviewed by Anastasia Lavrina

Correspondent of Eurasia Diary

Assistant to the President of the International Eurasia Press Fund