The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), in cooperation with the China Media Group (CMG), organized a business forum and discussion on "New Horizons for Business and Investment between Bulgaria and China." The event was attended by representatives of state institutions, business enterprises, trade organizations, academic circles, and the diplomatic corps.
The forum opened with welcoming remarks from Mr. Tsvetan Simeonov, President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Xia Fanlei, Director of the Bulgarian Service of China Media Group; Her Excellency Dai Qingli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Bulgaria; as well as representatives of the Bulgarian government.
The President of the BCCI thanked the CMG for its high praise of the Chamber's active role in fostering bilateral economic relations, noting that this recognition motivates the organization to further intensify its support for trade and investment. He went on to inform event participants that BCCI now issues its Infobusiness information bulletin in the Chinese language. In the meantime, the total number of subscribers to the electronic newsletter has exceeded 12,000 across different languages.
Simeonov announced that, thanks to the excellent cooperation between BCCI and the Chinese Embassy in Sofia, training programs in China are being prepared for Bulgarian experts and managers. These will focus on the food and agriculture sectors in 2026, followed by the light industry sector in 2027.
In her address, Ambassador Dai Qingli highlighted the impressive development of bilateral relations under the "One Belt, One Road" Initiative, noting that trade volume between Bulgaria and China has more than tripled over the past decade, reaching 5.39 billion US dollars. She also emphasized the growing interest among Chinese companies in investing in the automotive industry, renewable energy sources, information technology, and agriculture.
Representatives from Bulgarian ministries presented key areas of cooperation, highlighting:
- the highly successful development of cooperation in agriculture, noting that Bulgaria is the leading exporter of agricultural and food products to China among Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries;
- potential avenues for Chinese investment in infrastructure, transport, logistics, and energy;
- future outlooks for expanding tourism and bilateral visitor exchange;
- Bulgaria’s priorities in human resource development and streamlining labor market access for third-country nationals. Notably, in June 2026, a bilateral cooperation agreement in the field of employment and social policy was officially signed between Bulgaria and China.
To mark the occasion, a congratulatory letter was received from the Ministry of Economy and Industry. The letter stated that, for the Bulgarian side, the economic partnership with China represents a valuable opportunity to attract investment, implement innovative solutions, and realize projects in areas of mutual interest.
During the business panel, representatives from the Automotive Cluster Bulgaria, the National Statistical Institute, the Solar Academy Bulgaria, the Executive Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the Association of Young Scientists, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Gotse Delchev presented concrete opportunities for expanding the partnerships in the automotive industry, renewable energy, investment, innovation, statistical cooperation, scientific exchange, and vocational training.
Watch the video highlights of the event here