The ongoing China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair presents significant business opportunities for China and Slovakia, said Richard Rasi, Chairman of the Slovak National Council.
The 4th China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair is being held in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, from May 22 to 25. The event features over 8,000 products from Central and Eastern European countries, with a spotlight on sectors such as the low-altitude economy, artificial intelligence, and the food industry.
In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Rasi noted that Slovakia will present more than 40 companies and academic institutions at this year's expo, aiming to strengthen trade ties and foster partnerships with China.
"This year we have more than 40 Slovak companies. We will have a big Slovak pavilion, big exhibition, and we will provide very different products with companies which are interested in food and beverages, innovative technologies, renewable energy, companies which are experts in aviation or for example we have one company which is producing flying cars. And the important thing is that alongside, there is possibility to meet also our academic institutions like University from Nitra, they are specialists on agriculture or Slovak Technical University or Technical University of Kosice," Rasi said.
"It means it's a combination of high quality products, high quality technologies and also academic institutions all together, and we hope that the result will be that we will match Chinese partners with Slovak companies, and the final result will be better trade between our countries," he added.
Rasi said China and Slovakia are not only friends without any open political issues, but also good and fair business partners.
"A strategic partnership agreement is very important for us, and I hope it's important for both countries because it's the highest level of cooperation. I think that it means that the business companies or SMEs will have open doors to Slovakia and to China, so to both countries. It means that both countries will support business from other countries. It means that we will increase also cultural cooperation. We are going to open a Slovak cultural center in Beijing and we offer to help you to open Chinese cultural center in our capital and it means that our businessmen or our business companies will have easier or lighter approach to Chinese market and vice versa. Chinese companies to Slovakian market," said Rasi.
China-CEEC Expo unlocks major business opportunities: Slovak Council Chair
A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.
In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.
To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.
In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.
Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.
The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.
Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.
In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.
At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.
"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.
In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.
Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.
"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.
To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.
"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.
China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom
