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China has not had an ambassador to Armenia for about seven months, political analyst Suren Sargsyan says, describing it as an “unprecedented and exceptional phenomenon in the history of Armenian-Chinese relations.”

“Naturally, this is a very clear message as such situations are never accidental. Beijing's diplomatic arsenal has hundreds of professionals ready to be deployed to Yerevan at any moment,” Sargsyan wrote on Facebook on Friday.

He elaborated on the possible reasons behind Beijing's approach.

"1. Despite high-level assurances, Armenia has shown little to no interest in the Belt and Road Initiative and has taken no steps to become a part of it. China's stance is clear in this regard: countries are either supportive of the project or against it.

2. Armenia remains a member of the de facto defunct Anti-China Alliance for Religious Freedom, which should not be confused with the Religious Freedom Summit. This alliance, initially established by former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was designed with an anti-China agenda. Although the alliance has been inactive for over four years, Armenia has not formally withdrawn from it.

3. Armenia hosted Taiwan's minister of economy despite its commitment to refrain from direct contact with Taiwanese officials. The Taiwan issue is extremely sensitive for China, and any deviation from the one-China principle is unacceptable to Beijing," the expert explained.

“Given these factors, Beijing's approach is both logical and reasonable. Superpowers cannot be treated in this way,” Sargsyan concluded.