Slovak President Peter Pellegrini visits the Robot Mall in Yizhuang on July 28, 2026. Photo from Slovak President Peter Pellegrini's X

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini continued his state visit to China on Wednesday with a visit to tech company Baidu, a Chinese leader in AI, cloud computing and autonomous mobility. Together with his tour of a robotics mall in Yizhuang, southeast Beijing, on Tuesday, the visit gave him a firsthand look at modern technologies developed in China.

China's robotics hubs and other high-tech showcases have become magnets for visiting foreign leaders, especially from Europe. Amid concerns over declining competitiveness, particularly in AI, some European countries view cooperation with China as a way to boost technological and industrial innovation, making China-Slovakia high-tech cooperation both practical and promising, according to a Chinese expert. 

During his visit to Baidu on Wednesday, Pellegrini took a ride in an Apollo Go autonomous vehicle and after taking off the car, he said "Excellent" and "it was amazing," according to a video released by Baidu on Wednesday.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Pellegrini described his visit to a Robot Mall in Yizhuang, saying that its integration of advanced technology and retail innovation was "remarkably impressive." "This visit underscores the potential for technology to redefine our everyday interactions and reshape industries. I am optimistic about the future, where technology and daily life harmoniously converge to improve both convenience and well-being," Pellegrini wrote, alongside four photos featuring robots and AI-powered surgical robots.

During his visit to the Robot Mall on Tuesday afternoon, Pellegrini imitated a robot's movements and joked about whether it was really a robot or a person inside, according to a video posted by China News Service. "I'm really amazed… I see what China has reached within a few years in this segment is amazing," Pellegrini said in the video.

A representative from the Robot Mall told the Global Times on Wednesday that the visiting Slovak presidential delegation toured the facility's exhibition hall, where they inspected nearly every robotic unit on display and demonstrated keen interest in the full range of exhibits. The delegates actively engaged with all interactive installations throughout the venue.

The showroom currently features an array of domestically developed humanoid and quadruped robots that have been commercially unveiled by Chinese manufacturers, alongside complementary interactive robotics technologies including dexterous manipulators and virtual reality equipment, according to the representative.

The Robot Mall in Beijing's Yizhuang, the world's first 4S store for humanoid robots, opened in August 2025, according to a previous Global Times report. 

China's robotics hubs and other high-tech showcases have increasingly become a magnet for visiting foreign leaders, particularly those from Europe, as they seek a firsthand look at the country's technological advances or explore opportunities for scientific and technological cooperation, He Zhigao, a research fellow with the Institute of European Studies from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

During his visit to China in February, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, where he saw robot product displays, robot performances and robot fights, the Global Times previously learned on site.

According to a report from Slovak news agency TASR, during the tour of the Robot Mall, Pellegrini said that Slovakia wants to deepen cooperation with Chinese research institutions, universities and technology companies. It has an interest in implementing modern technologies developed in China as quickly as possible. 

"We must find a way to implement them into everyday life and into our companies as soon as possible. The early adoption of innovations can make Slovakia one of the leaders among European countries," Pellegrini said, pointing to the possibilities of using robotics in healthcare. 

Amid slowing growth and concerns over declining competitiveness, some European countries see cooperation with China as a way to strengthen technological and industrial innovation. "If concrete China-Slovakia high-tech projects are successfully implemented and contribute to improving Slovakia's competitiveness, such cooperation would be both practical and highly promising," He said. 

While narratives such as "de-risking" and "reducing dependence on China" continue to constrain EU engagement with China, limiting the depth of technological cooperation, China-Slovakia collaboration could have a positive demonstration effect by allowing other European countries to see its tangible benefits. Technological cooperation with China could also help Europe address its current shortcomings in science, technology and innovation, the expert said.