High-level meetings on international and governmental forums between Chinese and Bulgarian sides is in constant dynamics.
The character of those events is expressed in periodic meetings aiming to bring together the ideas and concepts for the development of both countries.
January – February
From 11 to 12 January 2016 аn official visit to China was held by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova, which was the first visit from Bulgarian Interior Minister since 1996.
Meetings were held with the Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun, the Minister of Administration of Cyberspace Lou Wei and Culture Minister Luo Shugang. A Memorandum of cooperation in prevention and fight against crime was signed.The first bilateral talks between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs on 16+1 issues took place in September 2015.
In January 2016, the second round of talks took place in the topic of the same format. The cooperation under the Diplomatic Institute to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Bulgaria is also actively developing due to the bilateral relations.
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s meeting with the Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, on February 4, 2016, at London Donors International Conference on the topic of “Support for Syria and the Region“, is an example of the heterogeneous nature of these meetings.
The decisions to combat the consequences of the humanitarian crisis in Syria as a result of the ongoing war on its territory are of key importance to Bulgaria and its international relations and are directly related to the economic consequences from the illegal entry of refugees on the territory of the country.
This factor may have a direct impact on Chinese investments in projects in Bulgaria due to the complicated situation. The enhanced political dialogue has a preventive role over the risks like loosing confidence and contributes on building security and sustainable long-term relations.
In February 2016, delegation from China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at Deputy-level (Minister rank) visited Bulgaria to identify opportunities for participation in the new Chinese initiative for Development of sea ports of the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Seas.
Bulgaria has presented two transport corridors linking Asia with Europe using the Bulgarian port infrastructure and ferry connections: the Eurasian transport corridor part of the Silk Road from China, passing through Kazakhstan and Georgia, as well as the Black Sea – Persian Gulf corridor, passing through Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
In February 2016, BDZ “Freight Transport” signed a route plan between Zhengzhou-Bourgas.
May-June-July
During June 2016, in Bulgaria on an official visit was Mr. Jiang Ping, a member of the Shanghai Communist Party and a secretary of the Political and Law Commission. Contacts between the Prosecution offices of the two countries were established.
In June 2016 MRDPW hosted Deputy Minister of Housing, Urban and Rural Development of China, Mr. Lu Kehua. A Memorandum of cooperation between the two ministries is under development.
The international convergence of positions on major political, economic and military issues is the key to the rapprochement of relations. 2016 was important for the communications between Bulgaria and China and has been marked by intensified dialogue in a number of international forums.
The meeting of President Rosen Plevneliev with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang on 16 July 2016 at the 11th ASEM Summit in Ulaanbaatar is also a key milestone. The platform of this forum aims to build, strengthen and bring together bilateral and multilateral ties between Asia and Europe.
The effect of these meetings is political cooperation and a more balanced political and economic order. The benefits of Bulgaria’s participation in this forum are the opportunities for informal face-to-face conversations.
Parliamentary delegations at different levels are regularly exchanged as a result of the close relations in international fora. The outcome of the November 5 meetup came a little later the same year.
People’s Republic of China has been visited by several Chairmen of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. In the period June 26 – July 1, 2016 a visit was made by Mrs. Tsetska Tsacheva, the previous visit at this level in 2013 was by Mr. Mihail Mikov, following the visit by Prof. Ognian Gerdjikov in 2002.
Mrs. Tsacheva held meetings with the Presidents of the People’s Assembly of People’s Deputies Zhang Dejiang and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Council, Yu Zhengsheng, the President of the Beijing City People’s Council, Mr. Du Deyin, the Presidents of the National Assemblies of Shanghai and Xian, as well as with big Chinese companies.
During the visit, Minister Lilyana Pavlova and the Chinese Minister of Housing, Urban and Rural Development signed a cooperation agreement.
Through the years of cooperation, Bulgarian MPs regularly visit China to participate in bilateral and international formats. In May 2016 PES Chairman Sergey Stanishev and Vice-President of the National Assembly Yanaki Stoilov were on a visit to participate in the 5th EU-China High-Level Political Forum, and in June 2016 – the Deputy Chairperson of GERB political party Tsvetan Tsvetanov.
September – December
The next significant meeting in 2016 was between Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Prime Minister Li Keqiang on 5 November at the 5th meeting of the Heads of Government of China and the CEECs in Riga, Republic of Latvia. There, the Prime Minister said:
“I would not allow myself to miss this meeting because I am aware that over the past four years, the 16+1 format has proven to be a beneficial and effective mechanism of interaction between China and Central and Eastern Europe. In Bulgaria, since our last meeting in 2015, we are already witnessing the first real results of our cooperation. “
At this meeting was reported, that there is growth of Bulgarian made products on the Chinese market. Prime Minister Li Keqiang also said that the potential for export of essential oils, especially rose oil, agricultural and food products – milk and dairy products, meat, tobacco etc. is big.
Bulgarian prime minister emphasized the potential opportunities for economic cooperation “China is our first partner. The Industry is also an important sector in which we can find a cross section of interests.
Chinese investors in Bulgaria are growing and our desire is to attract more companies to the Bulgarian economy, because here we have traditional advantages in sectors such as machine building, electronics and electrical engineering, information and communication technologies, chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries.
We rely on the authorities in China to encourage Chinese companies to invest in Bulgaria”.
On September 26-28, 2016, Metropolitan Municipality hosted the First Meeting of Mayors of the Capitals under the 16+1 Initiative.
The delegation visited Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. In the period 24-29 September 2016 a delegation of the Ministry of Interior led by the Deputy Minister of the Interior Mr. Tsvyatko Georgiev participated in the Second International Forum, organized by China’s Public Security Ministry in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China.
In accordance with the Protocol on Cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs (1995), consultations are held. The last round took place between 10 and 12 October 2016, with the head of the Bulgarian delegation Minister Valentin Poriazov, and the head of the Chinese – Ms. Liu Haixing, Deputy Foreign Minister of the PRC and Secretary General of the China-CEECs (16+1) Cooperation Initiative Secretariat.
The procedure for the signing of the so-called bilateral protocols and the coordination of phytosanitary certificates for the export of products of plant origin and the coordination of the bilateral approval of the mirroring export certificates for products of animal origin began too.
Those also constitutes as an official authorization to import products on the territory of China. All this requires time and is related to the regular admission of working visits by Chinese experts from China’s National Quality Control Authority (AQSIQ).
From December 2016, Bulgaria has launched 28 export procedures for China for agricultural and food products. From all 28 procedures successfully have been completed 3 – for corn, alfalfa and fish products.
A small number of Bulgarian companies have been established in China. The political dialogue aims to increase cross-border investment, and the exported and imported goods, and the amount of companies operating in both countries.
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