From September 6 to 11, a delegation led by Israfil Mammadov, Chief Executive Officer of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), paid a working visit to China. The visit aimed to strengthen investment cooperation with China and expand opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
During the visit, the delegation held meetings with representatives of several international financial institutions, investment companies, and government bodies, and participated in major regional events.
The main part of the visit took place within the framework of the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), held in Xiamen. SOFAZ representatives attended the fair’s opening ceremony. Meetings were also held with Zhang Qingsong, Chairman and CEO of the China Investment Corporation (CIC), and Bruce Flatt, CEO of Brookfield Asset Management.
Israfil Mammadov subsequently took part in a roundtable chaired by Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China. The event brought together senior officials from China’s central and regional government bodies, as well as leaders of major global corporations representing the energy, finance, industry, technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors.
Mammadov also spoke at a panel discussion dedicated to the China-ASEAN Joint Investment Council (CAJIC), held as part of the “China Investing Abroad” session. The discussion, which brought together leading sovereign investors from the region, addressed opportunities to attract greater investment to the region through joint efforts and strengthen capital flows between China and ASEAN.
In his remarks, Mammadov emphasized that China and ASEAN should no longer be viewed as separate markets, but rather as a single economic ecosystem. According to him, cooperation with the region means more to SOFAZ than simply directing capital; it is also about building trusted partnerships and gaining in-depth market experience. He also noted that the Fund’s participation in this format is strategically important for strengthening Azerbaijan’s financial ties with Asian markets.
During the visit, the SOFAZ delegation also strengthened its relationship with Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world’s leading investment firms. The delegation took part in a forum organized by Brookfield Asset Management in Hong Kong, where discussions covered the current state of global capital markets, including investment outlooks for credit, infrastructure, energy, real estate, and private equity. Leading international institutional investors shared their perspectives on emerging trends in these areas.
The outcomes of the visit reflect the continued expansion of SOFAZ’s investment relationships across Asia. Meetings with CIC contributed to deepening the Fund’s existing institutional ties in the market, while SOFAZ’s status as a founding member of CAJIC has helped secure the Fund an important position within the region’s network of leading sovereign funds. At the same time, expanded cooperation with global institutional investors such as Brookfield Asset Management provides SOFAZ with direct market insight, trusted partners, and access to new investment opportunities.
The visit also carries broader strategic significance for Azerbaijan. The growing role of the Middle Corridor in strengthening connectivity between Asia and Europe further reinforces Azerbaijan’s strategic position between the two regions. SOFAZ’s expanding cooperation with leading investment institutions in Asia complements this physical connectivity with a financial one, bringing Azerbaijan and Asia closer together both geographically and economically.
