On October 13, 2026, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Slovak-Chinese Association for Friendly Cooperation signed a memorandum of cooperation in Tianjin. Yang Wanming, President of the CPAFFC, and Michal Bartek, Chairman of the Slovak-Chinese Association for Friendly Cooperation, signed the document on behalf of their respective organizations and held in-depth exchanges of views on deepening China-Slovakia people-to-people friendship and advancing practical cooperation at the local level and in cultural and people-to-people fields.

Slovakia is one of the first countries to have established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. In 2024, bilateral relations were elevated to a strategic partnership. With the joint efforts of both sides, mutual trust has continued to deepen, new outcomes of cooperation have continued to emerge, and the tradition of friendship has taken deep root among the people. To further promote China-Slovakia friendly exchanges and local cooperation, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Slovak-Chinese Association for Friendly Cooperation signed a memorandum of cooperation. On this basis, the two sides will deepen friendly cooperative relations, strengthen personnel exchanges, and enhance mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples, and actively promote local cooperation between the two countries in areas such as parliamentary exchanges, economic and trade, culture, education, youth, and tourism.

At the signing ceremony, Yang Wanming welcomed Bartek's visit to China to attend the 2026 Legislators Forum for Friendly Exchanges Among Parliamentarians, and commended him for initiating the establishment of the Slovak-Chinese Association for Friendly Cooperation and for actively dedicating himself to the cause of China-Slovakia friendship. Yang Wanming stated that the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries is ready to join hands with the Slovak-Chinese Association for Friendly Cooperation to implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, take the signing of this memorandum of cooperation as a new starting point, maintain close personnel exchanges at all levels, deepen and consolidate local friendly cooperation, and continuously enhance mutual understanding and affinity between the two peoples, thereby enriching the substance of the China-Slovakia strategic partnership.

Bartek stated that all sectors of Slovak society attach great importance to relations with China, and that Slovakia-China cooperation has brought tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries. The Slovak-Chinese Association for Friendly Cooperation is ready to leverage its unique strengths to facilitate practical cooperation and connections among local governments, enterprises, and universities of the two countries, expand exchanges and cooperation in fields such as new energy, the digital economy, agriculture, and culture and tourism, promote two-way personnel exchanges, and contribute to the continued advancement of the Slovakia-China strategic partnership.

Source: the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC)