Conclusion

The last chapter, Conclusion, summarizes the historical developments of relations between Albania and China from the beginning of diplomatic relations to the present day. It is stated that the relations between them have been characterized by asymmetry, ideological positions and national interests. Albania benefited from its alliance with China across the economic, financial, industrial, and military fields. China benefited from its cooperation with Albania by gaining access to certain mineral resources, supporting Albania's efforts to secure China's admission to the UN, and increasing its influence within the global communist movement. When China reoriented its foreign policy toward cooperation with the United States, Albania paradoxically distanced itself, becoming self-isolated, internationally marginalized, and impoverished. After 1991, the two countries normalized relations and continue to cooperate in a pragmatic manner. Albania's NATO membership and its path toward EU integration have not become an obstacle to deepening trade between the two countries, despite ideological and political divergences. The chapter concludes that relations between China and Albania are characterized by three fundamental lessons: ideological interests can be set aside when national interests are at stake; being a small state, Albania nevertheless managed to go beyond acting within a partnership with a large state to a greater extent than classical realist theory predicts; and multipolarity significantly transforms the logic of bilateral partnership.