China is ready to work with Slovakia to deepen strategic mutual trust and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, said Chinese Premier Li Qiang when holding talks with visiting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing on Friday.
Noting that Slovakia is one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China, Li said the two sides have always respected each other, treated each other as equals, and conducted friendly cooperation during their 75 years of diplomatic ties, which has brought tangible benefits to the people of the two countries.
China stands ready to work with Slovakia to carry forward the traditional friendship, intensify high-level exchanges, deepen strategic mutual trust and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, so as to promote common development and prosperity of the two countries and inject more positive energy into global peace and development, Li said.
China is willing to maintain high-level political mutual trust with the Slovak side, Li noted, saying that the two sides should expand cooperation led by the high-quality Belt and Road development.
Li said that both countries should give full play to the role of the joint economic committee and the science and technology cooperation committee, and promote cooperation in fields including China-Europe Railway Express, connectivity, and infrastructure construction.
The two sides should further expand bilateral trade volume, and explore the cooperation potential in emerging industries such as digital economy and green economy, to jointly foster new economic drivers for both countries, said Li.
China and Slovakia should make joint efforts to provide a better business environment for enterprises in each other's countries, said the premier.
He noted that both sides should continue to improve exchanges in cultural tourism, science, education, sports, media, youth, and other areas of people-to-people exchanges, and promote the establishment of cultural centers in each other's countries to enhance the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.
For his side, Fico said developing friendly relations between Slovakia and China is in the fundamental interests of both countries.
Slovakia supports the three major global initiatives proposed by China and firmly abides by the one-China policy, he said.
Slovakia is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning on governance experience, and deepen cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, connectivity, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges with China, he said.
The prime minister said that Slovakia opposes the extra tariffs imposed by the EU on Chinese electric vehicles, adding that the EU and China should seek a proper solution through dialogue and consultation.
After the talks, Li and Fico jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in various fields including transportation, economy and trade, culture and tourism, and green and low-carbon development.
China ready to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Slovakia
