On October 15 local time, the “Open Chengdu” Central and Eastern Europe Tour and the China (Chengdu)–Slovenia Economic and Trade Cooperation and Exchange Event were held in Ljubljana.
The event was co-hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government, the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Commerce, the Chengdu Opening-up and International Cooperation Center, the Chongzhou Municipal People’s Government, the City of Ljubljana, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS), and SPIRIT Slovenia. It aimed to leverage sister-city ties to promote targeted matchmaking between Chengdu and Slovenia and to support Chengdu enterprises and products in expanding into the Central and Eastern European market.
The event brought together more than 100 representatives from the political and business circles of China and Slovenia. Chengdu enterprises took turns giving roadshow presentations and held face-to-face matchmaking talks with nearly 100 Slovenian enterprises. Three cooperation memoranda were signed on the spot, 21 cooperation intentions were reached, and the contracted amount totaled 15 million yuan, opening up a new phase in cooperation between the two sides.
It is learned that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Chengdu and Ljubljana. Forty-five years of sister-city friendship have accumulated deep trust and forged a unique bond for economic and trade exchanges between the two places. In May, a delegation from Ljubljana was invited to Chengdu to attend the 2026 Chengdu International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Development Conference. The two sides jointly held the “Chengdu-Europe Industrial Dialogue” and the “Open Chengdu · Linking the World” Chengdu-Slovenia Investment and Business Forum, as well as an exhibition commemorating the 45th anniversary of the sister-city relationship, laying a solid foundation for deepening economic and trade cooperation. The current return visit by the Chengdu delegation to Ljubljana is precisely a pragmatic action to continue sister-city exchanges and promote the implementation of cooperation.
Celebrating Sister-City Friendship, Discussing Cooperation Prospects Together
Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Slovenia, the Ministry of the Economy, Labour and Sport of Slovenia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, the Slovenian-Chinese Business Council, SPIRIT Slovenia, and other institutions attended the event, engaging in friendly exchanges and discussions on cooperation with business representatives from both China and Slovenia.
Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Kang Yan stated that China and Slovenia have enormous potential for practical cooperation, and Chengdu will also set sail and take the lead in this blue ocean. Chengdu and Slovenia are highly aligned in development philosophies, aspirations for people’s livelihoods, and urban governance, jointly focusing on improving quality of life, ecological and environmental protection, and green city development, and possess broad space for cooperation in distinctive and specialized fields.
Kang Yan
Nejc Perhavec, Head of the Internationalisation and Investment Promotion Division, Ministry of the Economy, Labour and Sport, stated that Slovenia attaches importance to economic and trade cooperation with China and is willing to take this event as an opportunity to strengthen industrial matchmaking with Chengdu and promote the implementation of more two-way investment and trade projects.
Nejc Perhavec
Samo Logar, Deputy Mayor of Ljubljana, observed with emotion that the friendship with Chengdu has become deeply embedded in the city’s fabric: “Chengdu Road reminds us every day that international bonds are strongest when they are woven into the daily lives of citizens.”
Samo Logar
Žiga Vavpotič, Chairman of the Slovenian-Chinese Business Council, stated that China has become one of the core forces shaping the global landscape of manufacturing technology and international trade. He looks forward to continuously deepening Slovenia-China cooperation and tapping into cooperation opportunities in the field of green development.
“Chengdu Partners” Expands, Matchmaking Pragmatic and Efficient
At the event, the Slovenian side presented its business environment and investment opportunities, while Chongzhou City highlighted its industrial foundations in intelligent manufacturing, new materials, home furnishings, and modern agriculture. A “Chengdu Partners” plaque-awarding ceremony was held on site, with Xiong Miao, Deputy Director of Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Commerce, presenting the plaque to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia. The Chengdu Opening-up and International Cooperation Center signed a cooperation memorandum with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, further expanding the “Chengdu Partners” circle of friends.
Subsequently, Chengdu enterprises gave roadshow presentations in turn and conducted B2B matchmaking talks with nearly 100 Slovenian enterprises. Participating enterprises stated that the high-level international display platform and the precise demand matching in the early stage made the roadshow and matchmaking more targeted, and the services of the “Open Chengdu” Partner Program also gave enterprises full confidence in pursuing cooperative development in Europe.
Projects Implemented with Results, Cooperation Deepened and Solidified
No sooner had the matchmaking talks concluded than good news followed one after another. Kangtai Plastic Technology Co., Ltd. signed a cooperation memorandum with a local data company, reaching a deep cooperation consensus in the fields of underground pipeline detection and monitoring technology; Quanyou Furniture Central and Eastern Europe Co., Ltd. connected with several local home furnishing enterprises to explore paths for cooperation in home furnishing channels; Sichuan Huidatong Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. achieved supply-demand matching with Intereuropa, a leading integrated logistics group in Slovenia and the Southeast European region, and established a targeted communication mechanism with the Port of Koper; Chengdu SailRay Optical Technology Co., Ltd. signed a cooperation memorandum with Equipro on site, achieving deep business cooperation in optical technology.
From precision instruments to smart healthcare, from automobile manufacturing to home furnishings and building materials, the products and technologies brought by nine Chengdu enterprises found their way into the Central and Eastern European market in this handshake across mountains and seas. The cooperation reached on site is precisely the vote of confidence cast by enterprises from both sides, and the comprehensive deepening of cooperation between the two places has a promising future. A representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia stated that registration for this event was unprecedentedly strong, with the number of registrants far exceeding expectations.
Chengdu Enterprises Reached Cooperation and Signed Agreements On Site
Sister Cities as a Bridge, Openness as a Shared Journey
From a broader perspective, economic and trade cooperation between Chengdu and Central and Eastern European countries has continued to deepen. The Slovenian home appliance brand Gorenje has opened a flagship store in Chengdu, southwest China, and Chengdu CROBOTP welding robots have entered the Slovenian market, with two-way investment and industrial complementarity steadily deepening. This matchmaking event is a vivid practice of transforming sister-city advantages into trade and investment cooperation advantages. The nine Chengdu enterprises, covering fields such as precision instruments, smart healthcare, and home furnishings and building materials, are promoting a batch of “Chengdu-made” products, technologies, and services in their efforts to connect with the Central and Eastern European market.
During the event, a special “Chengdu Gift” was presented to the guests: the October issue of HELLO Chengdu featured a cover story on the 45th anniversary of the sister-city relationship, capturing the friendship between the two cities between the pages and delivering the warmth of this city across mountains and seas to friends thousands of miles away.
Beyond the event, the Chengdu enterprise delegation also paid field visits to four institutions, including the Technology Park Ljubljana (TPLJ), SPIRIT Slovenia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, and Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, and formed a number of follow-up matchmaking items concerning technology implementation, safety standards, certification and market access, cooperation models, and media cooperation.
“Distance cannot separate true friends who feel so close even when they are thousands of miles apart.” On such a relay of inheritance and cooperation, Chengdu Road in Ljubljana is continuing to write a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win results for the two cities, expanding into a road of economic and trade cooperation, a road of friendship and exchanges, and a road of walking hand in hand.