"Enhancing Bilateral Relations: The China-Slovenia Connection"

"Slovenia is located in southern Central Europe. It gained independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and joined the European Union in 2004, followed by joining the Eurozone and the Schengen Agreement in 2007. The land area of Slovenia is 20,300 square kilometers, with a population of 2.1 million. Slovenia boasts beautiful scenery, combining geographical, topographical, and climatic features such as the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Pannonian Plain, and karst landscapes. The forest coverage rate reaches 60%. Despite its small size, Slovenia exhibits exceptional diversity in its natural environment, which is rare among countries worldwide.

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, China and Slovenia have maintained friendly political ties and witnessed smooth development in economic and trade cooperation. Both sides have signed agreements including the Economic and Trade Agreement, Investment Protection Agreement, Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, and Economic Cooperation Agreement. In recent years, with the impetus of the Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Central and Eastern European Cooperation Mechanism, political mutual trust between China and Slovenia has deepened, and comprehensive cooperation has been fully launched in various fields.

In 2015, China and Slovenia signed the Agreement on Animal Health and Public Health Requirements for Slovenian Dairy Products Exported to China, marking the entry of Slovenian dairy products into the Chinese market. In 2016, the Civil Aviation Authorities of China and Slovenia signed a Memorandum of Understanding, laying the foundation for direct flights between the two countries. Slovenia, as the leading country of China-Central and Eastern European Forestry Cooperation Coordination Mechanism, hosted the first high-level meeting of the mechanism. The Ministries of Education of both countries have exchanged visits and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on education cooperation, creating better conditions for deepening bilateral educational cooperation.

In August 2017, Slovenia hosted the second China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Ministerial Meeting. In November 2018, Slovenia actively participated in China's first International Import Expo, with a high-level government delegation and six companies attending. In November 2019, Slovenia once again sent a high-level government delegation and 22 companies to participate in the second China International Import Expo. At the same time, there have been continuous high-level contacts between the two countries, with the Prime Ministers of China and Slovenia holding annual meetings for eight consecutive years. In February 2020, Slovenian President Pahor and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Cerar sent letters to President Xi Jinping and State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi respectively, expressing support for China's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, visited Slovenia. China-Slovenia relations are entering a new stage of comprehensive development in various fields.

Slovenia possesses a strong industrial and technological foundation, with five pillar industries including chemistry, electronic devices, mechanical manufacturing, transportation, and metal manufacturing. Many technologies are at the forefront globally. For many years, Slovenia has been a leader in economic development in the Central and Eastern Europe region, with considerable momentum. It is internationally recognized as a developed country. As an EU member state, Slovenia benefits from its advantageous geographical location at the intersection of Eastern and Western Europe, deeply integrating with major economies within the EU. It has the potential to become a bridge for economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe. Slovenia possesses advanced technologies and cutting-edge products but lacks capital and market access, while China has a vast market and strong financial capabilities. In recent years, major cooperative projects between China and Slovenia have emerged, showcasing the best evidence of complementary advantages and win-win cooperation.

For many years, Slovenia has been China's largest trading partner in the former Yugoslavia region. According to Chinese customs statistics, bilateral trade volume reached 3.96 billion US dollars in 2020. China's exports to Slovenia amounted to 3.45 billion US dollars, an increase of 1.2% compared to the previous year, while China's imports from Slovenia totaled 510 million US dollars, a decrease of 1.5%. China maintains its position as Slovenia's largest trading partner in Asia and the second-largest import source outside the EU, playing a vital role in bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

During the 29 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Slovenia, both countries have worked together to achieve leapfrog development in various areas of cooperation. The Slovenian government actively responds to China's Belt and Road Initiative. With the important platform of China-Central and Eastern European cooperation, the exchange and cooperation between the two countries have significantly accelerated in economic, trade, and cultural fields. High-level interactions have injected new vitality into the development of China-Slovenia relations in the new era. We firmly believe that the cooperation between China and Slovenia in various fields will embrace new opportunities for further deepening and expanding bilateral economic and trade cooperation."