On October 19, 2026 local time, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev met with Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Sofia.
Radev asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings to the Chinese leaders. He stated that Bulgaria cherishes its traditional friendship with China, admires China's tremendous development achievements, and regards China as an important stabilizing force for safeguarding peace in today's world. Bulgaria firmly adheres to the one-China principle and will not have any official exchanges with Taiwan. Bulgaria-China relations have a long history and bright prospects. Bulgaria is ready to further elevate bilateral relations to a higher level and expand cooperation with China across the board, and believes that Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit will inject new impetus into these endeavors. Bulgaria warmly welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in the country and will provide greater government support, ensure policy stability and create a sound business environment.
Radev stated that historically Western countries actively supported economic globalization and trade liberalization and viewed China as somewhat conservative and closed, whereas today China has become a staunch supporter of globalization and free trade. Europe has concerns about its trade deficit with China, but China's high-quality and affordable goods have helped curb inflation in Europe; in fact, Europe and China cannot do without each other. Bulgaria and China enjoy good prospects for connectivity cooperation, and Bulgaria is ready to play the role of a gateway and bridge connecting the Eurasian continent and linking Europe and China.
Wang Yi conveyed the cordial greetings of the Chinese leadership to Radev, stating that opening up a new future for China-Bulgaria relations requires consolidating the political foundation and deepening political mutual trust, thereby creating better conditions for cooperation between the two countries in various fields. China appreciates Bulgaria's continued adherence to the one-China policy and its understanding and support for China's legitimate position of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China and Bulgaria enjoy a traditional friendship, and bilateral relations have a solid foundation and broad prospects; elevating the positioning of bilateral relations is only natural and logical. China is ready to deepen political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes with Bulgaria. China will be Bulgaria's most reliable and long-term strategic partner in its development and revitalization process.
Wang Yi stated that China is committed to advancing modernization and building a community with a shared future for humanity together with all countries. China is ready to work with Bulgaria to advocate multilateralism and free trade and to promote the democratization of international relations. The Belt and Road Initiative and the China-Europe Railway Express have boosted transcontinental and trans-regional connectivity, and these, together with Europe's Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TITR) vision, can complement and reinforce each other rather than exclude or offset one another. China is ready to strengthen strategic alignment with Bulgaria, support Bulgaria in playing a bridging role in Eurasian connectivity, and achieve mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes for China and Bulgaria as well as for China and Europe.
