Dong Xiaojun, Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria Photo: Courtesy of Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria

China and Bulgaria are traditionally friendly countries. Bulgaria is the second country in the world to recognize and establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. Last year, bilateral relations were upgraded to a strategic partnership and entered a new stage of development.

Bulgaria is an important country along the Belt and Road. In 2015, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to jointly build the Belt and Road, making Bulgaria one of the first Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) to sign relevant documents. The Bulgarian government actively supports and participates in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as cooperation between China and CEECs, making both priorities in its diplomatic agenda. 

In recent years, the two sides have worked hard to strengthen the "Five Links" cooperation and have made continuous progress. The China-CEEC Agricultural Cooperation Demonstration Zone and other projects have also maintained sound development momentum.

The cooperation against COVID-19 has given the international community an intuitive and profound understanding of President Xi Jinping's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. 

The virus knows no borders and is the common enemy of all mankind. No country can cope with all kinds of challenges alone. Only through unity and cooperation can mankind overcome the pandemic.

Guided by this vision, our two countries have supported and helped each other since the pandemic began. When China was hit hard by the epidemic, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and several other senior officials in Bulgaria immediately sent messages to their Chinese counterparts to express their sympathy and solidarity. Bulgarian people from different sectors also extended helping hands to China. 

At a critical point in Bulgaria's fight against the pandemic, China provided proactive assistance in return.

On March 18, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang spoke over the phone with Prime Minister Borissov, expressing China's readiness to strengthen the exchange of experiences in virus prevention and containment, provide assistance within its capacity, and facilitate Bulgaria's purchases of urgently needed medical supplies from China through commercial channels. On the same day, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi sent a letter to Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Zakharieva, reiterating that China is ready to stand with Bulgaria in overcoming the difficulties.

The first batch of Chinese government aid and Bulgarian government purchases from China arrived in Sofia on April 17, and was received at the airport by Bulgarian Health Minister Ananiev. On behalf of the Bulgarian government and people, he thanked China for its valuable support and assistance to Bulgaria. Relevant Chinese provinces, cities and institutions, as well as the Chinese Embassy, Chinese companies and community in Bulgaria have also provided support.

China and Bulgaria have maintained close communication and cooperation on virus prevention and control, with the "17+1" cooperation framework playing an active role in particular. On March 13, the same day that Bulgaria declared a state of emergency, a "17+1" video conference of health experts was held to exchange views with Chinese experts on the prevention and control of the virus.

In addition, China has been sharing its experience and practices with other countries and actively promoting international scientific and technological cooperation in virus prevention in an open, transparent and responsible manner. The Chinese side has provided Bulgaria with seven editions of its diagnosis and treatment manual for reference in fighting the pandemic.

Due to the pandemic, bilateral exchanges have been greatly impacted.

Amid this unfavorable situation, the two sides have overcome difficulties and worked hard to promote pragmatic cooperation in all fields to minimize the impact.

A China-Europe freight train enters China from Erenhot Port, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on July 1. Photo: cnsphoto

Bilateral cooperation in economy and trade has kept its momentum. Quite a few Bulgarian companies have taken part in "cloud" activities such as the online 127th Canton Fair.

In the field of science and technology, China and Bulgaria are actively promoting cooperation in vaccine research and other projects. The two sides are actively preparing for the 17th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation, and the "17+1" science and technology innovation forum under the frameworks of Belt and Road cooperation and China-CEEC cooperation.

The friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries enjoy solid political and public support. We are confident that under the frameworks of the BRI and "17+1" cooperation, China-Bulgaria exchanges and cooperation in various fields will resume in due course and move full steam ahead.

The author is Chinese Ambassador to Bulgaria