Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday, expressing willingness to elevate the positioning of bilateral relations and expand cooperation with China across the board.
Asking Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, to convey his sincere greetings to Chinese leaders, Radev said 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.
Radev said that Bulgaria firmly adheres to the one-China principle and will not conduct any official exchanges with the Taiwan region. Bulgaria-China relations have a long history and bright prospects, and Bulgaria is ready to further elevate the positioning of bilateral relations and expand cooperation with China across the board, he said, adding his belief that Wang's visit will inject new impetus into this endeavor.
He also said that Bulgaria warmly welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest here, and will increase government support, ensure policy stability and provide a sound business environment.
Radev said that, historically, Western countries actively supported economic globalization and trade liberalization and viewed China as somewhat conservative and closed, but today China has become a staunch supporter of globalization and free trade.
He also said Europe has concerns about its trade deficit with China, but Chinese goods with high quality and competitive prices have helped curb inflation in Europe; in reality, neither side can do without the other. Bulgaria-China cooperation on connectivity enjoys good prospects, and Bulgaria is willing to serve as a gateway and bridge connecting Eurasia and linking Europe and China, Radev added.
For his part, Wang said that forging a new future for China-Bulgaria relations requires consolidating the political foundation and deepening political mutual trust so as to create better conditions for bilateral cooperation 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, Wang said.
Noting that China and Bulgaria enjoy traditional friendship, with bilateral relations resting on a solid foundation and having broad prospects, Wang said that upgrading the positioning of bilateral relations is a natural and logical step.
Wang said China is ready to deepen political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation and achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results with Bulgaria, and that China will be Bulgaria's most reliable and long-term strategic partner in its development and revitalization.
He stressed that China is committed to advancing modernization and building a community with a shared future for humanity together with all countries. China is willing to work with Bulgaria to advocate multilateralism and free trade and promote the democratization of international relations.
Wang noted that 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 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, Wang said.