Visitors pass by the national pavilion of Slovakia at the CICPE in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province, on April 13, 2025. Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

Slovakia is welcoming more Chinese companies to invest in the country, as officials from the European country on Tuesday highlighted close bilateral ties between the two countries, and various advantages Slovakia is offering, including as a gateway to the European market for Chinese firms.

Slovakia's efforts to attract Chinese investments and Chinese companies' keen interest in the Slovak market were on display at an online conference, co-organized by the China Overseas Development Association (CODA) and the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO).

Between countries, there should be friendly relations, and between Slovakia and China, there are friendly relations, Ambassador of Slovakia to China Milan Lajciak said at the conference, noting the interactions between the high-level officials of the two countries. "This signals a very good relationship and friendly understanding between the two countries. It also sends a signal to the business community that Chinese businesses are welcome to invest in Slovakia," he said.

He noted that "over the past two months, we have been increasingly approached by Chinese companies showing growing interest in entering Slovakia, which also serves as a gateway to the European market."

Slovakia has stable policies for investors that do not change from year to year, which is another factor favorable to foreign investors, including those from China, the ambassador said.

The CODA said that the event aimed to help Chinese companies gain a better understanding of market opportunities in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the policies and business environment for foreign investors.

Lukas Merga, China representative of the SARIO, said that the agency hopes that more and more Chinese companies will be interested in investing in Slovakia, including in the automotive industry, which is a key part of the country's development vision.

Merga gave the example of electric vehicles (EVs) in Slovakia, which are still relatively expensive, and sales are limited. However, with more and more Chinese EV brands entering the Slovak market and establishing stores in many cities, these vehicles from China are attracting significant attention, he said.

Commenting on the high complementarity between the two countries, CODA President He Zhenwei said during the conference that in recent years, economic and trade cooperation between China and Slovakia has continued to deepen, with particularly notable achievements in sectors such as automobile manufacturing and electronics, creating tangible development opportunities for enterprises on both sides.

In mid-November, the association led a business delegation to for a four-day visit in Slovakia, composed of companies related to vehicle production. "The visit received strong support from the Slovak side and exemplified the close cooperation and practical efforts to promote enterprise matchmaking between the two countries," said He.

Slovakia, as an EU member and country in joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), enjoys a unique geographical advantage and a solid industrial foundation, participants noted.

The Slovak government actively supports and participates in the BRI and was one of the first European countries to sign an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road cooperation with China, according to the Chinese Embassy in Slovakia.

Speaking during Tuesday's online conference, State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Economy of Slovak Vladimir Simonak said that he visited China five times over the past year, and on each of those occasions, he met many counterparts who either were doing business in Slovakia or thinking about it, highlighting the positive trend of Chinese investment there.

"Each time, I witnessed great progress in technology and the business environment and in many of the industries that we are seeing in China," Simonak further noted.