| Acknowledgements | 第6-7页 |
| 摘要 | 第7-9页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第9-10页 |
| List of Abbreviations | 第12-15页 |
| Introduction | 第15-19页 |
| 1. Research Background | 第15-16页 |
| 2. Research significance | 第16-17页 |
| 3. Research Structure | 第17页 |
| 4. Literature Review | 第17-18页 |
| 5. Research Methodology | 第18-19页 |
| CHAPTER Ⅰ The Caucasus: An Introduction | 第19-41页 |
| 1.1 General History of Modern Caucasus | 第19-21页 |
| 1.2 The External Actors in the South Caucasus | 第21-29页 |
| 1.2.1 Russia - South Caucasus Relations from Past to Present | 第23-24页 |
| 1.2.2 Influence of Iran and its Implications on the South Caucasus | 第24-25页 |
| 1.2.3 Turkey – South Caucasus Relations since the Independence | 第25-26页 |
| 1.2.4 Interests of the US and EU in the South Caucasus | 第26-29页 |
| 1.3 The Post-Soviet Period: New Development Era for South Caucasus States | 第29-32页 |
| 1.4 Trade and Energy: Oil and Gas from Caspian Sea and its Impacts to the Region and Global Markets | 第32-36页 |
| 1.5 Security Challenges and Regional Conflicts: The Case of Nagorno-Karabakh | 第36-41页 |
| CHAPTER Ⅱ China - South Caucasus: From Past to Present | 第41-56页 |
| 2.1 China’s Rise to Global Economic Superpower | 第41-47页 |
| 2.1.1 Introduction to China’s Economic Growth and Reforms | 第43-45页 |
| 2.1.2 Rise of China in the Regional and Global Context | 第45-47页 |
| 2.2 East meets West: Historical Development of Cultural and Commercial Relations between two Regions | 第47-49页 |
| 2.3 Foreign Policy of China towards South Caucasus and Azerbaijan | 第49-56页 |
| 2.3.1 Chinese Investments and Interests in the South Caucasus | 第51-56页 |
| CHAPTER Ⅲ The New Era: The South Caucasus in China’s Belt & Road Initiative | 第56-80页 |
| 3.1 Sustainable Development Through Connectivity and Economic Cooperation | 第56-61页 |
| 3.1.1 The old Silk Road and its revival through the Belt and Road initiative | 第58-59页 |
| 3.1.2 From European Initiatives–TRACECA to Chinese Initiatives–B&R | 第59-61页 |
| 3.2 Historical Context of Azerbaijan: Geo-Political and Economic Realities | 第61-64页 |
| 3.2.1 Dimensions and Principles of Azerbaijan’s Foreign and Regional Policy | 第62-64页 |
| 3.3 China’s Eurasian Corridors and the Role of Azerbaijan: Efforts to become an Economic and Transport Hub – Opportunities and Challenges | 第64-80页 |
| 3.3.1 The Trans-Caspian International Transit Route (TITR) | 第66-72页 |
| 3.3.2 Expectations from the Railway Projects: Baku – Tbilisi – Kars Railway Project and Regional Connectivity | 第72-75页 |
| 3.3.3 The Geopolitics of Trade: The Southern Gas Corridor - TANAP Project and its Regional Importance | 第75-80页 |
| Conclusion | 第80-82页 |
| References | 第82-87页 |
