Chinese President Xi Urges Slovakia to Promote China-EU Relations

Chinese President Xi Jinping praised Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico for Slovakia's continued support and friendship with China, urging Bratislava to promote stronger China-EU relations amid ongoing tensions over EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Xi highlighted the need for unity and cooperation internationally and commended Slovakia as one of the few EU countries opposing these tariffs. Fico, who met Xi in Moscow earlier this year, has been actively seeking to accelerate Slovakia's economic and strategic ties with China, aiming to attract industrial investment, though Slovakia has seen slower gains compared to Hungary, which has been a major recipient of Chinese investments in Europe. Both Slovakia and Hungary maintain close ties with Russia, particularly in energy, with Slovakia relying heavily on Russian oil. Fico is also engaging diplomatically with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the EU works to reduce dependence on Russian energy. China's outreach to Slovakia reflects Beijing's broader strategy to strengthen alliances within the EU to counteract trade restrictions and advance its geopolitical influence.