China and Slovakia Deepen Ties as Pellegrini Visits Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping held official talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, as the two leaders pledged to deepen their strategic partnership and expand cooperation across clean energy, artificial intelligence, and digital trade. The meeting, part of Pellegrini’s three-day state visit — his first to China since taking office in 2024 — underscores Slovakia’s commitment to maintaining robust ties with Beijing even as the European Union pursues a more cautious approach toward China.

Strengthening a Historic Partnership

Slovakia was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, and in 2024, the two nations elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China is ready to work with Slovakia to deepen traditional friendship, better synergize development strategies, and expand exchanges across various fields.

President Xi highlighted the deep roots of China-Slovakia friendship, noting that through joint efforts, mutual trust has deepened and cooperation results have emerged. He appreciated Slovakia’s adherence to the One-China principle and called for both sides to respect each other’s development paths despite their different political systems.

A Grand Welcome in Beijing

The Tuesday morning agenda began with a grand welcome ceremony at the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People, complete with a 21-gun salute at Tiananmen Square and a review of the People’s Liberation Army honor guard. Xi later hosted a state banquet in Pellegrini’s honor at the Golden Hall. In the afternoon, the Slovak president laid a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes at Tiananmen Square.

According to Xinhua News, Xi put forward a four-point proposal for the next stage of bilateral cooperation: consolidate strategic mutual trust by respecting each other’s development paths; deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in clean energy, digital economy, robotics, and AI; enhance people-to-people bonds through cultural, sports, and youth exchanges; and uphold international fairness and justice under the UN-centered international system.

Pellegrini’s Endorsement and Tech Focus

Pellegrini highly commended China’s development achievements under Xi’s leadership, stating that China’s ability to formulate and implement consecutive five-year plans and steadily advance Chinese-style modernization is admirable and worth learning from. He affirmed that Slovakia treasures the strategic partnership and firmly adheres to the One-China principle.

Notably, the Slovak president expressed full endorsement of Xi’s vision and initiatives proposed at the 2026 World AI Conference and pledged closer coordination with China on global AI governance. Global Times reported that Pellegrini’s itinerary includes visits to Baidu, the AI and autonomous driving technology giant, and Robot Mall, described as the world’s first center dedicated to the commercial use of humanoid robots — signaling a strong interest in deepening technological cooperation.

Economic Dimensions

Bilateral trade between China and Slovakia reached approximately US$8.63 billion in 2025, with Chinese exports totaling US$4.39 billion and imports reaching US$4.24 billion, according to Anadolu Agency citing state broadcaster CGTN. Key areas of cooperation identified during the talks include clean energy, digital economy, robotics, and new energy vehicles, pointing to significant potential for growth in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.

Geopolitical Significance

Pellegrini’s visit carries particular weight given Slovakia’s dual position as a member of both the European Union and NATO. The visit comes amid mounting trade tensions between the EU and China, with Brussels increasingly pushing “de-risking” measures. Slovak leaders — including Prime Minister Robert Fico, who visited China earlier — have taken a notably pragmatic approach, seeking to maintain stable bilateral ties while expanding trade and investment.

Chinese experts cited by Global Times described this as a strategic calculation that strengthens Slovakia’s leverage within the EU. “Slovakia’s constructive engagement with China could encourage other European countries to pursue more pragmatic relations with Beijing,” said Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University. Xin Hua, director of the Center for European Union Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, noted that China’s manufacturing and infrastructure expertise can support Slovakia’s industrial upgrading, creating substantial room for further cooperation.

President Xi expressed hope that Slovakia would play a constructive role in pushing the EU to focus on common ground with China and properly handle differences. Pellegrini pledged to actively promote EU-China cooperation and resolve differences through dialogue.

Looking Ahead

The visit marks another milestone in China-Slovakia relations, reinforcing a trend of sustained high-level engagement between Beijing and Bratislava. With Pellegrini’s visit concluding on July 29, the two sides are expected to announce concrete cooperation agreements. The broader question remains whether Slovakia’s pragmatic approach can serve as a bridge for more stable EU-China relations amid rising geopolitical tensions — a dynamic that both European capitals and Beijing will be watching closely.