Robert Fico, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, arrived in Beijing on Thursday for an official visit to China from Oct 31 to Nov 5 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
President Xi Jinping will meet with Fico during his visit. Premier Li will hold talks with Fico, and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, will meet with him. They will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of common interest, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
He served as Slovak prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.
He was appointed again as Slovakia's prime minister in October 2023.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Slovakia.
Slovak prime minister arrives in Beijing for official visit
Slovak prime minister arrives in Beijing for official visit
Slovak prime minister arrives in Beijing for official visit
The first-ever China-CELAC Legal Forum was held on Wednesday in Shanghai, aiming to further strengthen the strategic partnership between China and the countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
The forum attracted officials, academics, and legal professionals from China and 17 CELAC member countries.
"The forum believes that an effective commercial and cultural relationship cannot be developed if it does not have legislative support or a legal framework regulated in accordance with the rule of law," said Jose Alexis Ginarte, president of the National Union of Jurists of Cuba.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-CELAC Forum.
As China celebrates its growing relationship with CELAC member states, the forum seeks to enhance legal exchanges and cooperation in key areas such as the digital economy, financial innovation, and international trade.
"We are all linked together in this digital economy. For example, artificial intelligence is an issue that will be discussed in this forum. It's a topic basic for the legal profession to develop secure rules of ethics, to protect people, to use this type of technology," said Gustavo Satillana, international affairs coordinator for the Mexican Bar Association.
Legal cooperation between China and CELAC has faced challenges posed by differences in law, diverse social and cultural contexts, and a lack of legal professionals focused on China-Latin America relations. The forum seeks to address these issues and promote greater collaboration.
"We hope to use this opportunity to promote more bilateral memorandums of understanding to address specific issues. Therefore, five bilateral meetings are scheduled to be held during the forum," said Song Xiaoyan, dean of the School of Law under the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
Chinese, Latin American legal experts gather in Shanghai to strengthen future cooperation
