Being a leader of innovation does not necessarily depend on the size of the economy, but a lot to do with the quality of the talent, as well as international cooperation. It is widely believed that technological development and business community cooperation have exceeded the development of politics in the world nowadays. Therefore politicians have to take up much bigger responsibilities.
As the prime minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze has pondered the matter a lot. In an exclusive interview with CGTN senior correspondent Tian Wei, he told us that the Georgian government spends 25 percent of the national budget on the education sector in China's Dalian City, where the Summer Davos is being held.
"From my perspective, it will happen sooner than some experts might have predicted. We have to prepare our societies for the big changes, because it will eventually happen. Therefore the human capital development is the major priority of my government, and this was the major reason why we initiated the new legislation. According to the new legislation, we will invest 6 percent of our GDP, which is 25 percent of our budget annually, in education and human capital building forces in Georgia, to make Georgia more competitive in the 21st century," he said.
Bakhtadze stresses that doing so isn't easy because a quarter of the annual budget is a significant amount, but he believes it is the right way to move the country forward, as well as increasing the competitiveness of Georgia and provide new opportunities for international investors.
He is also happy to see the trend that the number of Chinese companies doing business in Georgia is growing. He noted that famous Chinese car maker Changan will build a new factory for electric vehicles.
On July 1, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze, noting that China-Georgia relations enjoy sound and steady development on the basis of mutual respect and equality.
When it comes to win-win cooperation, Bakhtadze said it is necessary to have common understanding about some very important issues, like the one-China policy.
"We also, two years ago, signed a free trade agreement with China. Now we have to be more resolved in another dimension. For example, Georgia is becoming a major tourism destination. This year we will be hosting more than 9 million visitors, so we would like to see more tourists coming from China to Georgia," he added.
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