25.07.2022 / Bulgaria and China will boost agricultural trade

An online conference call was held on July 22 between representatives from the Association for Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and representatives from Jiangxi Province, China.

The meeting was opened by Ms. Zhao Hui, Director of the Department of Foreign Relations of Jiangxi Province. She thanked all attendees for their time and willingness to participate in the online meeting. Ms. Hui highlighted the close relationship between Sofia Province and Jiangxi Province – they have been sister provinces since 2020. Ms. Hui added that Bulgaria is an important partner in the relationship between China and CEE countries, referring to the “One Belt, One Road” project.

Dr. Momchil Stanishev, director of the APACCCEEC, presented the activities and the history of the Association to the participants in the online meeting. He emphasized the need for a post-COVID business conference to be held between companies from the CEE region and Jiangxi Province in order to establish in-person contact with businesses in China. Furthermore, Mr. Stanishev added that there is a need for regular and continuous contact with representatives from China and suggested frequent webinars between the two countries.

Mr. Zhiming, Inspector of the Advertising Department of Jiangxi Province, kindly invited Mr. Stanishev to lead a delegation and visit the province. He talked about the increased trade volume and the potential for rapid and sustainable growth. Mr. Zhiming referred to some products that have been imported into the province, including wood and wood products.

Mr. Haibo, Director of “The Nanchang Free Trade Zone”, talked about the history of the zone since its establishment in 2017, and its main characteristics. Additionally, Mr. Haibo expressed satisfaction with the current trade performance and shared that he hopes that more companies from Central and Eastern Europe to join the market in the “Nanchang Free Trade Zone”.

Representatives of the Bulgarian business also took part in the Q&A section of the Conference. Mr. Lachezar Dinev, chairman of the Bulgarian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, proposed to appoint a coordinator for the communication between the companies of the CEE region and Jiangxi province. Mrs. Milanka Davidovic, the representative of Serbia in the Consultative Board of the APACCCEEC, also took part. She talked about bilateral and multilateral relations between Bulgaria, China, and Serbia and their positive development over the years. She pointed out several examples of successful partnerships between Serbian and Chinese companies.

Ms Chen Shabao, Deputy Director of the Nanchang Free Trade Zone, spoke about the flow of funds and resources to the Zone as well as its good performance in terms of selling foreign products.

The creation of a list of companies from various sectors in the CEE region and the Jiangxi Province was discussed as part of the efforts to increase the trade between the two sides. Mr. Stanishev agreed to these ideas and added that the representatives of the APACCCEEC will prepare a detailed list and it will be sent to the partners in China.

The meeting ended with remarks on the good organization and the good outlook for future cooperation.