ANKARA: China on Tuesday described Georgia's parliamentary elections, which favored the pro-Russia ruling party, as 'smooth,' emphasizing its respect for the choice of the Georgian people. 'Georgia has held a smooth parliamentary election. We respect the choice of the Georgian people and sincerely wish the country stability and prosperity,' said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, in a post on X. He added that China is prepared to collaborate with Georgia to 'further advance bilateral relations.' Preliminary results indicate that the ruling Georgian Dream party won with 53.93% of the vote in Saturday's elections. Opposition parties, including the Coalition for Change with 11.03%, Unity-UNM with 10.16%, Strong Georgia with 8.81%, and Gakharia for Georgia with 7.77%, received smaller shares. Lin's comments came after Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili announced her refusal to acknowledge the election results, citing Russian interference aimed at consolidating influence in Georgia. Z ourabichvili condemned the election process, calling it a case of 'hybrid warfare' and part of a Russian strategy to extend its reach into Georgian politics. She insisted that Georgia's European future was at stake, stating: 'We reject Russia's infiltration and occupation.' Aligning with the opposition, Zourabichvili urged international allies to 'protect Georgia by standing with the people, not an illegitimate government.' Source: Anadolu Agency