Here's counting the various reasons that have strengthened ties and benefited people in the two countries

The erstwhile Czechoslovakia was one of the first countries to recognize the People's Republic of China when they established diplomatic ties on Oct 6, 1949. Over the past 70 years, friendship between the two countries has withstood fluctuating international situations and yet thrived, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. The development of China-Slovakia relations can actually be explained with the help of numbers.

"One" farm door to friendship

In the early days, when China was underdeveloped, erstwhile Czechoslovakia sent a large number of experts to China and also provided it with a lot of economic and technical assistance. In early 1956, Czechoslovakia gifted a farm in China 677 sets of agricultural machines capable of cultivating 6,667 hectares and also sent experts to teach them mechanical and agricultural technology.

To commemorate the friendship, former premier Zhou Enlai named the farm China-Czechoslovakia Friendship Farm. Today, the farm is a strategic area for Hebei province to further open up to the outside world. It has five major sectors: high-tech zone, modern agricultural zone, urban construction zone, petrochemical industrial zone and coastal economic zone. After the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the farm funded the relocation of the Slovak Pavilion to the farm. Since then, the farm has developed into the Slovak-China Business Center, the China-Slovak flight simulation training center, the Nitra Winery, and the China-Central and Eastern European Countries SME Cooperation Zone, injecting new impetus into China-Slovakia ties.

Agricultural cooperation has always been important to the two countries. Guided by a memorandum of understanding inked between the two ministries of agriculture and the Agricultural Cooperation Working Group, agricultural cooperation between the two countries continues to advance.

This April, China and Slovakia signed the Protocol on Veterinary and Public Health Requirements for Dairy Products Exported from Slovakia to China during the China-CEEC leaders' meeting. This has opened the door for Slovakia to export high-quality dairy products to Chinese.

"Two" way investments

Slovakia is one of Europe's automobile manufacturing hubs. Shanghai Yanfeng Automotive Interiors attaches great importance to the Slovak automobile industry and was among the earliest Chinese companies to invest in Slovakia. In 12 years, the factory has generated over 1,000 jobs for the local people. In 2015, Yanfeng established a research and development center in Slovakia's Trencin region to enhance its innovation capabilities.

In 2017, focusing on the superior geographical location and the strong demand of the logistics market in Central and Eastern Europe, CNIC Corporation Limited acquired the second-largest logistics park in Galanta, Slovakia. The park has now developed into the largest logistics and storage distribution center of many world-renowned retail and manufacturing companies in Central and Eastern Europe. When Jaguar Land Rover opened a new factory in Slovakia, the CNIC took the opportunity to invest in a logistics park in a national strategic industrial area to provide services for Jaguar Land Rover.

Slovak tech companies are now vigorously exploring the Chinese market. ESET Anti-Virus, Sygic Navigation and Pixel Federation have performed well in the Chinese market. Scientific and technological cooperation has become a new growth point for pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

"Three" generations benefit

People-to-people exchanges between the two countries have a long history. In the 1920s and 1930s, Ladislav Hudec, the famous Slovak architect, had made outstanding contributions to Shanghai's urban construction. Nearly one-third of his works were mentioned in the Shanghai Excellent Historical Building Protection List. Then there is Marina Carnogurska, a famous Slovak sinologist, who dedicated her life to Chinese culture, and translated numerous Chinese classics - such as The Dream of Red Mansions, The Analects of Confucius, Tao Te Ching and Xunzi - into Slovak.

After Slovakia gained independence, supporters of China-Slovakia friendship began actively promoting exchanges between the two countries in various fields. Jan Riapos, the 2008 Beijing Paralympics Games table tennis gold medal winner and president of Slovakia's Paralympics Committee, is committed to promoting sports cooperation between the two countries. A group of Chinese sportspersons also visited Slovakia to make important contributions for the development of sports. Li Yan, chairman of the China Skating Association, coached the Slovak team in the late 1990s. In just two years, she helped the Slovak national short track speed skating team become a strong European force.

Currently, learning Chinese is becoming trendy among young Slovak students. Three Confucius Institutes and a traditional Chinese medicine Confucius classroom have been opened in Slovakia. A Slovak-Chinese bilingual school in a central city of Slovakia has enrolled students for three consecutive years.

"Four" big platforms

Slovakia is one of the first European countries to sign a memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and is also an active participant in China-CEEC cooperation. Slovakia remains China's fourth largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2018, the trade volume between the two countries touched $7.78 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 46.4 percent, a record high. With the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative and 17+1 Cooperation, China-Slovakia economic and trade investment has been continuously upgraded.

In July, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid an official visit to Slovakia, boosting the development of China-Slovakia ties. Now, China and Slovakia should take advantage of the Belt and Road Initiative, China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, China-CEEC cooperation and bilateral exchange and cooperation mechanisms in various fields to promote their common development and push China-Slovakia relations to a new high.

The author is China's ambassador to Slovakia