On October 19, 2026, local time, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a joint press conference with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Petrova in Sofia, and shared four impressions from his Eurasian tour.
Wang Yi stated that he was delighted to visit Bulgaria. He held separate meetings with President Iotova, Prime Minister Radev, and Deputy Prime Minister Poulev, and conducted comprehensive and in-depth exchanges with Foreign Minister Petrova, reaching broad consensus. The two sides agreed that Bulgaria's development has brought new hope, and that China-Bulgaria strategic cooperation also faces new opportunities. China is ready to work with Bulgaria to seize the opportunities, harness the momentum to move forward and work together as strategic partners in pursuing development and revitalization, strategic partners in Eurasian connectivity, and strategic partners in upholding multilateralism, so as to promote the sound and upward development of China-EU relations through a more proactive, pragmatic, and vibrant China-Bulgaria relationship.
Wang Yi said that, as President Xi Jinping’s special representative, he attended the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit during this visit and also paid visits to Azerbaijan, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bulgaria. He would like to take this opportunity to share his impressions of the Eurasian trip.
First, trust is the cornerstone of peace. The world today is fraught with changes and turbulence, and the biggest problem it faces is a deficit of trust. From the Ukraine crisis to hostilities in the Middle East, resolving conflicts requires trust, and building trust requires communication. As a responsible major country, China has always worked for peace. During the CICA Summit, I held separate talks with the leaders of Israel and Palestine, met with representatives of other Middle Eastern countries, and listened to the views of the leaders of Balkan countries on the Ukraine crisis and the regional situation. The clear message China conveyed to all parties is: stay confident, demonstrate perseverance, commit to dialogue and consultation, pursue mutual understanding and accommodation, rebuild trust, and work together for peace. China will always stand on the right side of history, fulfill its responsibilities as a major country in eliminating trust deficits and resolving crises and conflicts, and play its due role.
Second, friendship is an invaluable asset. Azerbaijan's Silk Road heritage sites are a testament to the millennium-long friendship between the people of China and Azerbaijan. Marco Polo, a household name in China, came from present-day Croatia. “Bella Ciao,” a beautiful melody associated with Montenegro's Đurđevića Tara Bridge, evokes fond memories for an entire generation of Chinese people. The first Confucius Institute and the first China Cultural Center in the Balkans were both established in Bulgaria. I was also delighted to learn that contestants from Montenegro have won the global championship of the “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition three times. These friendly exchanges, spanning time and distance, carry forward the spirit of the ancient Silk Road and are vivid examples of mutual learning among civilizations on the Eurasian continent. Such valuable friendships should be given new contemporary meaning and continuously carried forward.
Third, cooperation is a solid driving force. The four countries visited during this tour are all participants in and beneficiaries of Belt and Road cooperation, and a large number of flagship cooperation projects have played an important role in the development of each country.The Gobustan solar power plant is Azerbaijan's first large-scale new energy project. Croatia's Pelješac Bridge stands as a model of trilateral cooperation among China, Croatia, and the EU. Montenegro's South-North Expressway (Bar-Boljare Highway) has become a "project of the century" connecting the region. China-Bulgaria energy storage cooperation has helped Bulgaria rise to the forefront of Europe in installed energy storage capacity. These cooperation projects are based on each country's actual conditions, meet the needs of the people, and conform to the trend of the times. China is ready to work with the four countries to tap potential and improve efficiency, consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as economy and trade, investment, and infrastructure, actively align the Belt and Road Initiative with the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TITR), and strengthen cooperation in new quality productive forces such as artificial intelligence and green transition, so as to create new engines and inject new impetus into the development and revitalization of each country.
Fourth, partnership is our common goal. China pursues “dialogue rather than confrontation, and cooperation rather than alliance,” and China advocates building a new type of international relations and advancing the democratization of international relations. The three Balkan countries visited during this tour are all good friends and good partners of China; they all hope for the sound and steady development of China-EU relations and look forward to strengthening China-CEEC cooperation.
China is ready to be an open, solid, and trustworthy long-term strategic partner for Balkan countries. We all agree that the three dimensions of state-to-state relations, regional cooperation, and China-EU relations are mutually compatible and mutually reinforcing, with partnership at their core. The three engines work in synergy, all aimed at pursuing win-win outcomes. The recent positive progress in China-EU trade and investment consultations shows that China and the EU can properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation. China has always believed that “openness leads to progress, while isolation leads only to backwardness,” and is ready to work with the EU to follow the path of multilateralism, practice the concept of free trade, and jointly achieve China-EU win-win cooperation at a new and higher level.
China-CEEC cooperation conforms to the trend of the times and the development needs of regional countries, and is an important mechanism conducive to European integration. China is ready to take next year's 15th anniversary of cooperation as an opportunity to join hands with regional countries in grand celebrations and push for quality upgrading the quality of cooperation.
Wang Yi said that Bulgaria is known as the Land of Roses, and the Chinese often say, “When you give roses to others, the fragrance lingers on your hand.” We firmly believe that helping others is a way to fulfill oneself. China is ready to continue working with Bulgaria and all other countries to uphold peace and stability, advance prosperity and revitalization, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and make unremitting efforts to jointly build a community with a shared future for humanity.
