Slovak ambassador highlights Ningbo's role in bilateral trade

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Slovakia and Ningbo are exploring deeper industrial and trade cooperation, with a focus on the automotive sector.

On his first visit to Ningbo since taking office in September 2025, Slovak Ambassador to China Milan Lajcak highlighted the city's strategic importance as a gateway for products entering the Chinese market.

In an interview with Ningbo Daily, he described Ningbo as a vibrant, open city with strong industrial capabilities and emphasized the natural alignment between local industries and Slovakia's priorities, particularly in the automotive, robotics, and green energy sectors.

According to the ambassador, friendly bilateral relations, a stable investment environment, and clear trade policies provide a solid foundation for two-way investment between China and Slovakia.

He pointed to Ningbo-Zhoushan Port and the city's integrated industrial ecosystem as factors that give the collaboration a competitive edge. The automotive sector stands out as the core area for cooperation, with opportunities extending to high-tech, innovation, and upstream and downstream supply chains, including new joint ventures such as the upcoming Geely-Volvo production line in Slovakia.

Lajcak highlighted plans to translate the strategic partnership into concrete results by strengthening high-level exchanges, facilitating business matchmaking, and expanding cooperation in education, research, and city-level partnerships. Ningbo is expected to serve as a key hub for Slovak companies entering the Chinese market and for Chinese enterprises exploring Europe, offering a replicable model of mutually beneficial industrial collaboration.