The sixth China-Central and Eastern Europe Leaders' Meeting was held on 16 October in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Yantai. During the close and brief meeting, a reporter from the Czech section of the China Media Group (CMG) had a conversation with Ján Kubiš, advisor to the Slovak president on foreign affairs and former foreign minister, about the current situation of China-Slovakia relations, prospects for cooperation and Slovakia's role in EU decision-making on some China-related laws.
On this basis, on the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides, we are able to reorganise the current bilateral relations from the most direct Slovak perspective and understand that there are unlimited possibilities and a blue ocean with the ups and downs of the sea.
Harmonious and peaceful cooperation hand in hand, the social effort of one heart
One of the most frequently mentioned words in the interview with Mr Kubiš was "development". In today's world, after several industrial and technological revolutions, the barriers of national borders, language or cultural traditions have long been removed. But the wave of productive and market globalization has given people in every corner of the world the opportunity to participate in a virtuous cycle of gaining economic benefits and realizing reproduction beyond this base. If we take China and Slovakia as an example, China's current world-leading advantages in communication transmission, electric vehicles, battery power and infrastructure, combined with Slovakia's accumulation of first-mover industrial advantages, the mutual political trust and understanding that these collisions have brought benefits and efficiencies at the economic level, as well as employment and stability in people's livelihoods, all make people happy and enthusiastic, and then lead to endless fascination.
In addition to development, respect and equality are impressive words. Mr Kubiš said that although Slovakia has economic and trade cooperation with other countries, he also made it clear that Slovakia also expects equal trade exchanges without any discriminatory policies:
"The Slovak Republic is an open economy and we are actively trading. Foreign trade is a necessity for us, and it is also a necessity to invest abroad, but also to receive foreign investment without any discrimination, and we hope that we will be able to do this in our relationship with the People's Republic of China."
The difference between so-called big countries and small countries is really only in territory and population. This does not mean that a country with a large area or a country with a large population inherently has some superior status or power. And when we rise above basic development or delve into the more practical level of people's livelihood, there is no difference between high and low level countries. This is a truth that should be clarified before any relationship develops. And once this most basic fact is forgotten, whether it is a self-proclaimed beacon of the civilized world or a repeated narrative of suffering, a country's foreign policy will turn into a curtain of hegemonism and all that will eventually be left is betrayal and alienation.
Of course, people should be happy that, whether it is cooperation on an official level or exchanges on a private level, this kind of foolish arrogance with typical hegemonic thinking is not between China and Slovakia.
Breaking down barriers to protectionism with the sword of technological competition
With some capitalist countries, which occupy huge volumes in the international trade market, experiencing cyclical economic recessions and the big hegemons heralding an inevitable decline in the political sense, the term "protectionism" has gradually become a common word in news commentaries. But this is not a metaphysical term, but a behaviour that actually affects all aspects of the world.
The first to bear the brunt is international trade. Since the mid-to-late 20th century, more and more countries have gradually realized the amazing energy that a global market like the networked version can unleash and bring astronomical explosive economic benefits to the various countries in the network. Spain went from being a mysterious country that was blockaded for a decade after World War II to a developed country in Europe. Far to the east, China too has actively participated in the world market through reform and opening up and joined the WTO, and has grown into today's second largest economy in the world. As part of such a trend, Slovakia has also taken over many industries from Germany and other early developing countries. Today, high-end production bikes from brands such as Porsche and Volkswagen are heading out of the lathes of Slovak factories into the world. However, the trend towards protectionism will undoubtedly bring huge threats to such a prosperous and growing international market. Tighter preferential policies will be followed by a flight of finance and a collapse of confidence.
But worst of all is the mistrust and suspicion that has spread as protectionist policies have become more widespread. Hostility and wariness at the ideological level is followed by an offensive of public opinion from the propaganda front. This omnipresent sound with the development of digital technology will gradually build a barrier in the hearts of the people and it will take decades or even generations of effort to remove it.
Mr Kubiš said in the interview that Slovakia has open access to the global market and technological competition. Slovakia voted against an unreasonable EU proposal to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. Speaking about the reasons for this decision, Mr Kubiš explained the reasons from his perspective:
"Without technological competition it is impossible to progress, it is impossible to make progress, do we want to protect some obsolete industrial technology in Europe? Similarly, we have to adapt to the global trend."
Although Slovakia is still a distant name for many Chinese today, the seed of friendship was planted 75 years ago and now the flowers of mutual benefit and win-win are about to bloom.
People often refer to areas with huge prospects and great potential as "blue oceans". Today's China and Slovakia, which have celebrated the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations, are working hard in this sea to open up a path of equality and mutual benefit that is different from the hegemonic countries of the past, reaching a prosperous shore of community with a common future for mankind.
CRI/ gnews - RoZ
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