Romanian Prime Minister’s Visit to China

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has paid a formal visit to China, the last leg of an Asian tour aimed at bringing as much Chinese investment as possible to Romania.

Mihai Pelin, 03.07.2013, 13:57

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has paid a formal visit to China, the last leg of an Asian tour aimed at bringing as much Chinese investment as possible to Romania. The goal has been reached, the Romanian official has stated, as both political and economic reactions to his visit have been positive. In Beijing, the Romanian Prime Minister suggested to both President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang, that the relation between Romania and China be upgraded to the level of a strategic partnership, as next year the two countries will celebrate 65 years of diplomatic ties. The strategic partnership could yield results in several areas, focusing on political, economic and cultural cooperation, Victor Ponta said.

The Chinese high officials appreciated the proposal, which will be under analysis soon, as a standard diplomatic stage towards concluding a partnership. The talks between Romanian and Chinese officials focused on boosting economic cooperation between the two countries, as China, the second largest economy in the world, has announced record investments in Europe this year. China is ready to work with Romania to promote exchange and cooperation in all fields, and to promote bilateral relations at a higher level, said the Chinese president. In turn, Victor Ponta said that Romania is ready to become China’s best cooperation partner in Europe. The Romanian Prime Minister also pleaded for easier access of Romanian food products to the Chinese market. Other cooperation projects could be developed in the energy and communication technology fields. Prime Minister Victor Ponta:

(Track): “We definitely agreed on developing the presence in Romania of the big telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE, turning Romania into a regional center for these two big companies. We can also move forward with regard to energy investments. The Rovinari project, worth 1 billion dollars, is underway, and this is a Chinese investment. Also, the project for the 3rd and 4th reactors of the nuclear power plant in Cernavoda was presented, and the Romanian side asked for speedy verification procedures needed to open the Chinese market to Romanian foodstuffs, in particular meat and wine.”

The two Chinese telecommunications companies said they would invest in our country hundreds of millions of Euros, turning Romania into a center for a large part of their business in Europe. Also, representatives of China Nuclear Electric — the largest energy company in China — are expected to arrive in Romania to analyze their potential involvement in the building of the nuclear power plant in Cernavoda, an investment estimated at billions of Euros.