Richard Hlavaty, director of the Department of Non-European Countries at the Czech Republic's Ministry of Industry and Trade, speaks at China (Shaanxi) - Czech Republic Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference in Prague, the Czech Republic, Dec. 11, 2025. (Photo by Helena Kocova/Xinhua)
PRAGUE, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Government officials, business leaders and experts gathered in Prague on Thursday for the China (Shaanxi) - Czech Republic Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference, highlighting new opportunities in logistics, advanced manufacturing, clean energy and people-to-people exchanges between China's inland area and Czechia.
HISTORIC LINKS, STRONG FOUNDATION
The city of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, was historically the start of the ancient Silk Road. And today, it is a key gateway connecting China with Europe, said Liu Haiyan, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic, at the event.
China and the Czech Republic have laid very solid foundations for bilateral economic cooperation, Liu said, noting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties over 75 years ago, economic and trade cooperation between China and the Czech Republic has maintained robust growth momentum.
Over the past quarter-century, bilateral trade volume has witnessed a 68-fold increase, Liu said, adding that China now stands as the Czech Republic's largest trading partner outside the European Union, while the Czech Republic is China's second-largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe.
Liu stressed that during the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), there will be major opportunities for foreign partners, noting that by 2035, China's per capita GDP is projected to reach 20,000 U.S. dollars and the middle-income population will expand to between 700 million and 800 million.
Richard Hlavaty, director of the Department of Non-European Countries at the Czech Republic's Ministry of Industry and Trade, welcomed the size and significance of the Shaanxi delegation.
Noting that the Czech government aims for a pragmatic approach to international trade, Hlavaty said that he appreciates the scale of the bilateral economic relations and hopes that, with the incoming Czech government, mutual respect and friendship will be strengthened.
BOOMING OPPORTUNITIES
On Nov. 19, a China-Europe freight train, carrying 55 containers of auto parts, household appliances, and other goods, departed Xi'an for Prague, inaugurating a new fixed-schedule service that slashes transit time significantly.
Hlavaty described the freight train service as "a new and efficient bridge of understanding and exchange between our regions."
Besides the developments in China-Europe freight train services, participants at Thursday's event shared their visions for future cooperation opportunities.
Jia Feng, party chief of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Commerce, said at the event that the industries in Shaanxi and Czechia are highly complementary to each other.
Jia said that the two sides should leverage their respective strengths to further strengthen trade exchanges, deepen two-way investment, and identify new areas for growth.
He noted that Shaanxi operates 18 regular China-Europe freight train routes that reach 227 cities in 25 countries, adding that since 2013, more than 30,000 China-Europe freight trains have passed through Xi'an.
The new Prague route, Jia said, provides robust logistical support for trade between Shaanxi and the Czech Republic.
Jia proposed that the two sides should deepen two-way cooperation in advantageous industries, noting that Shaanxi hosts leading auto companies such as BYD and Geely. He encouraged mutual investment in key manufacturing industries.
He also noted new opportunities in energy, chemicals, tourism and other areas.
Ilja Mazanek, head of the foreign affairs section at the Czech Chamber of Commerce, said that the Czech Republic has strong manufacturing capabilities and the country's industrial and socio-economic conditions provide strong advantages for developing bilateral cooperation.
"We are now ready to revitalize our cooperation and support new business opportunities. We hope our Chinese partners feel the same way," Mazanek said. ■
