Recent, domnul Ambasador Chen Feng a acordat un interviu ziarului românesc Nine o’clock, pe care îl puteți citi în întregime mai jos:
Your Excellency, how would you describe the current state of diplomatic and economic relations between Romania and the People’s Republic of China?
Romania was the third country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1949, the two countries have always upheld mutual respect and equal treatment, and have consistently supported each other on issues concerning their core interests. In 2004, China and Romania established a Comprehensive Friendly and Cooperative Partnership. Over the years, this bilateral relationship has withstood the test of time and has continued to advance steadily.
In recent years, there have been many kinds of high-level exchanges between the leaders of the two countries, continuously guiding the direction of China-Romania relations. In May this year, President Xi Jinping spoke highly of the traditional friendship between China and Romania in a congratulatory message to President Nicusor Dan. President Xi also emphasized that as good friends and good partners, China and Romania should enhance communication, build consensus, and deepen cooperation to jointly seize the opportunities of the times and work together to address risks and challenges, so as to write a new chapter of friendly cooperation between the two countries and bring more benefits to the people of both countries.
Romania is China’s fourth largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe. The bilateral trade in goods has exceeded 10 billion U.S. dollars for four consecutive years, reaching a record high of 13.45 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. So far, about 14.000 Chinese enterprises have been registered in Romania, with total investment exceeding 2 billion U.S. dollars.
Exchanges between China and Romania in culture, tourism and education have become increasingly close. The two countries have each established cultural centers in the other’s capital. China has set up five Confucius Institutes in Romania. Cultural delegations from both sides frequently visit each other, actively participating in festivals, competitions, exhibitions, fairs, conferences, forums and other events held in the other country. Since the end of last year, China has implemented a 30-day visa-free entry policy for Romanian citizens, leading to a significant increase in the number of Romanian visitors to China.
China and Romania are also important participants in the joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative and in the China-Central and Eastern European Countries Cooperation. The two sides have maintained close communication on international and regional issues of mutual interest, and have been committed to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.
What are the main areas of cooperation you see as priorities for the near future between the two countries?
China and Romania enjoy broad prospects for cooperation in various fields, including trade, investments, culture, education and technology.
In terms of trade, Romania is one of Europe’s major grain producers and exporters, enjoying the reputation for being the “granary of Europe.” There is broad potential for cooperation between the two countries in the agricultural sector, and China is willing to work with Romania to actively promote the export of Romania’s high-quality agricultural products to the Chinese market. What’s more, Romania’s economy has maintained steady growth, with strong market demand for automobiles, new energy products, household appliances, mobile phones and other consumer electronics, as well as for cross-border e-commerce. These sectors serve as key drivers for the growth of bilateral trade between China and Romania.
In terms of investment cooperation, the number of Chinese enterprises coming to Romania for business and investment opportunities is on the rise at present. The main focus areas are as follows: first of all, new energy. Romania is rich in wind and solar resources, enjoys strong policy support and demonstrates great vitality when it comes to developing a green economy. Second, information and communications. Romania boasts high-quality manpower and an abundant pool of IT professionals, with its digital transformation progressing rapidly. Third, manufacturing. Romania benefits from favourable labor costs and well-established industries, such as automobile, electronics manufacturing and food processing, playing an important role in the industrial and supply chains of the European Union. Overall, the Chinese and Romanian economies are complementary and the foundation for bilateral economic and trade cooperation is solid. China is ready to work together with Romania to further strengthen cooperation along industrial and supply chains and to ensure that the economic and trade cooperation benefit more people in the two countries.
In terms of cultural and educational cooperation, we look forward to further promoting mutual visits and exchanges between artistic and cultural groups of the two countries, as well as encouraging exchanges between academic delegations and schools of various levels, so as to share educational resources and enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. We welcome more Romanian friends to visit China, experience firsthand the country’s rich historical heritage and modern dynamism and jointly write a new chapter of cultural exchanges and people-to-people connection between China and Romania.
In terms of scientific and technological cooperation, China is willing to work together with Romania to strengthen in-depth collaboration on shared global interests, such as artificial intelligence, climate change, public health and food security, to enhance mutual learning and collaboration between research institutions and to provide innovative scientific and technological solutions to global challenges. In addition, we advocate for building greater consensus and exploring cooperation opportunities in emerging areas such as new energy, quantum technology, and basic research, so as to support both side’s innovation capacity and high-quality, sustainable development.
China is widely recognized for its long-term vision on sustainable development. What lessons can Romania draw from China’s experience in this field?
Development is the eternal pursuit of human society. At present, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with frequent geopolitical conflicts, sluggish global economic growth and numerous challenges in implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In response, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative, with the purpose of building a global community of shared development, outlining a blueprint for the development of countries and international development cooperation, and pointed the way forward for global development and international development cooperation.
In recent years, China has consistently adhered to the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing – a vision that aligns closely with the five pillars of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. This shows China’s contribution to the cause global development with its wisdom and solutions. Prioritizing development as its top task, China has become a major engine of global economic growth. Guided by a people-centered approach, China has historically eradicated absolute poverty, built the world’s largest social security and compulsory education systems and enlarged the middle-income group to over hundreds of millions people. Committed to harmony between humanity and nature, China actively implements the Paris Agreement, following a path of green, low-carbon and circular development. Embracing openness and mutual benefit, China continues to promote high-level opening-up, sharing its development opportunities with the world and pursuing common prosperity.
China has always believed that true development is sustainable, and good development is development for all. Romania has always attached great importance to sustainable development and, as a member of the European Union, possesses mature experience in areas such as green transition and carbon market mechanisms. China and Romania share similar visions and complementary interests on sustainable development issues. In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese enterprises have expanded their investments in Romania’s solar and wind energy sectors and a series of Chinese-contracted infrastructure projects have been successfully launched. Chinese new energy vehicles are steadily entering the Romanian market, offering consumers new options for green mobility. China-Romania cooperation in clean energy has already brought tangible benefits to both countries’ sustainable development. We hope that all sectors of Romanian society will foster a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises operating in Romania, and work together to build an open and stable industrial cooperation ecosystem, jointly advancing the global process of sustainable development.
The Belt and Road Initiative continues to connect economies around the world. What role could Romania play within this strategic framework?
This year marks the 12th anniversary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI).
Over the past twelve years, the joint construction of the Belt and Road has progressed from laying the groundwork to building pillars and frameworks, to delivering results on the ground, and to achieving sustainable progress. It has become an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial platform for international cooperation, as well as a global public good widely welcomed by the international community, yielding fruitful results and bringing benefits to more than 150 countries. According to relevant institutions, by 2030, the Belt and Road cooperation is expected to generate 1.6 trillion USD in annual global revenues, accounting for 1.3% of the world’s GDP. Between 2015 and 2030, an estimated 7.6 million people will be lifted out of absolute poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty as a result.
Romania is a major country in Central and Eastern Europe and an important participant along the BRI, which gives a broad potential for cooperation between China and Romania. Firstly, Romania is located at the crossroads of the Eurasian continent, serving as an important hub connecting the East and the West, and enjoys a unique geographical advantage in the westward extension of the Belt and Road towards Europe. Secondly, Romania has strong demand and great potential in areas such as infrastructure, energy and the digital economy, while China holds comparative advantages in these sectors. The two sides can further deepen practical cooperation to develop high-quality, sustainable and resilient projects that advance connectivity. Thirdly, Romania possesses solid strengths in IT, scientific innovation, culture and arts. The two countries can promote mutual learning and closer people-to-people ties by developing more landmark cooperation projects. We expects Romania making full use of its own advantages, to actively participate in the high-quality BRI cooperation and to jointly achieve new progress in China-Romania economic and trade cooperation.
To what extent do you believe that cultural and educational exchanges can strengthen mutual understanding between the peoples of China and Romania?
Cultural and educational exchanges transcend the borders of different countries, serving as a “bridge of hearts and minds” between them. They are by no means a one-way transmission of culture or knowledge, but rather a profound, two-way dialogue. From student exchange programs, where young learners experience the clash and fusion of ideas in foreign classrooms, to art exhibitions and performances where traditional Chinese opera shares the stage with modern dance; from academic forums, where scholars deeply explore the histories and cultures of both nations, to folk handicraft workshops, where artisans learn from one another’s traditional skills – each exchange plants a seed of mutual understanding in the hearts of its participants. Those who have personally experienced this cultural interaction become the most vivid “cultural envoy”, conveying the most genuine goodwill and friendship through interpersonal exchanges. By sharing their own stories of cooperation and connection, they help spread the positive outcomes of bilateral collaboration more widely, fostering mutual understanding between peoples and strengthening the foundation of friendship between the two nations.
What are the major investment and cooperation projects in Romania? How does the Chinese Embassy support Chinese investments in Romania?
Currently, Chinese enterprises in Romania are involved in a wide range of sectors, including business services, manufacturing, agriculture, as well as emerging industries such as new energy, information and communications technology(ICT) and smart cities. Over the years, Chinese companies in Romania have operated in accordance with local laws, fulfilled their social responsibilities on earnest, created numerous job opportunities and contributed to the economic and social development of Romania. Huawei Romania, established in the country for nearly 20 years, has made significant contributions to the development of Romania’s ICT sector. The company currently employs approximately 1200 local staff, who make up nearly 80% of its workforce, and indirectly creating more than 6000 additional jobs. It has been honoured multiple times with the Best Employer award. Chinese automotive component companies such as Ningbo Joyson and Zhang Machinery have generated over 4000 local jobs. China Tobacco International Europe has paid over 100 million euros in taxes for consecutive years, making a significant contribution to local public finances. Chinese enterprises including Shanghai Electric, Pinggao Group, Huadian Overseas Investment and Shanghai Electric Power have invested and constructed new energy projects in Romania, strongly promoting the country’s green energy transition. Chinese construction firms such as China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation have also made important contributions to the improvement of Romania’s infrastructure. The successful implementation of these projects will further strengthen and deepen practical economic and trade cooperation between China and Romania.
One of the key tasks of the Embassy is to promote, guide and support Chinese enterprises in actively investing and doing business in Romania. In recent years, we have actively assisted Chinese companies in conducting in-depth research on the local market, business environment and industrial chain support, and guided them to establish communication channels with Romanian central and local governments, industry organizations, as well as legal and financial advisory institutions, helping Chinese enterprises make informed investment decisions. At the same time, together with Romania’s friendship groups with China, we have built platforms for exchanges and interactions between Chinese and Romanian companies, strengthening dialogue, enhancing mutual understanding and attracting mutually beneficial outcomes. For example, in September this year, we successfully organized the China-Romania Business Promotion and Exchange Meeting, which facilitated the signing of more than 10 economic and trade cooperation agreements between companies from the two countries, covering sectors such as new energy, high-end manufacturing, cross-border e-commerce and logistics. In the fourth quarter, we also plan to jointly organize China-Romania Economic and Trade Forums, Automotive Industry Forums and other events together with relevant Romanian institutions, creating opportunities for interaction between Chinese and Romanian enterprises, promoting further economic and trade cooperation and supporting the steady development of China-Romania economic and trade relations.
In a world undergoing rapid transformation, how does China view its global role and its partnerships in Central and Eastern Europe?
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the world’s largest developing country, China has always actively fulfilled its international responsibilities and remains firmly committed to being a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and a provider of public goods. In September this year, President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin. Guided by core principles such as upholding sovereign equality, the rule of international law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and a focus on practical outcomes, this initiative represents China’s continued contribution of wisdom and solutions to strengthening and improving global governance.
China and the CEE countries share a deep traditional friendship and a solid foundation for cooperation. Since the launch of China–Central and Eastern European Countries (China–CEEC) Cooperation in 2012, all participating countries have maintained firm confidence in cooperation and adhered to a pragmatic approach. Together, they have built a comprehensive, wide-ranging, and multi-tiered framework of collaboration, creating a model for cross-regional cooperation and contributing positively to the overall development of China–Europe relations.
Romania is an important participant, contributor, and beneficiary of China–CEEC Cooperation. In November 2013, the second China–CEEC Leaders’ Meeting was held in Bucharest, where leaders from 17 countries gathered in Romania to jointly issue the Bucharest Guidelines for Cooperation between China and CEEC. This document reviewed the achievements of cooperation and charted the course for its future development. Since the launch of this cooperation mechanism, the annual trade volume between China and Romania has grown from over 3.1 billion USD to more than 13.4 billion USD — an increase of 4.25 times. An increasing number of Chinese enterprises, taking advantage of the opportunities brought by China–CEE Cooperation, have invested in Romania in sectors such as new energy, manufacturing, and commercial services, creating substantial tax revenue and employment opportunities for the local economy. Meanwhile, more and more high-quality Romanian products have entered the Chinese market through the China–CEEC Expo, enriching the everyday lives of Chinese consumers.
Looking ahead, China stands ready to work together with all sectors of Romanian society to further strengthen cooperation across various fields within the framework of China–CEEC Cooperation, so as to deliver more practical benefits to our peoples.
What joint projects in innovation, technology, or green energy currently exist—or are being planned—between China and Romania?
In recent years, China and Romania have continued to deepen their cooperation in the fields of science, technology, and green energy. Relying on bilateral intergovernmental mechanisms for science and technology cooperation, BRI and China–CEE Cooperation framework, the two sides have carried out thousands of projects covering areas such as trade and investment, platform development, joint research, and academic exchanges. These efforts fully demonstrate the shared vision and pragmatic spirit of both countries in areas such as addressing climate change to promote sustainable development and advancing scientific and technological innovation to support high-quality growth.
I would like to briefly highlight a few examples of the cooperation projects. In the field of scientific and technological cooperation, the China-Romania Joint Laboratory for Agricultural Cooperation, jointly established by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, has become a model of China–Romania collaboration in science and technology. The laboratory has achieved remarkable results in the joint research and development of key technologies and equipment for facility-based agriculture, helping to promote and demonstrate energy-saving solar greenhouse technologies and related innovations in Romania. In the field of green energy, Chinese enterprises have built or invested in multiple photovoltaic power projects in Brașov, Timișoara, Prahova, and other regions, with overall construction and operations progressing smoothly. In addition, China’s Shandong Dahai Group has established a 2GW solar panel production line in Romania, with its products serving markets across Europe. Chinese companies are also actively exploring investments in energy storage manufacturing facilities in Romania. At present, an increasing number of Chinese enterprises have expressed strong interest in investing and cooperating in Romania. With their advanced technologies and innovative capabilities, they are expected to contribute further to Romania’s transition toward green energy and sustainable development.
Scientific and technological innovation cannot flourish without the support of our two governments. We hope that China and Romania can accelerate consultations on the intergovernmental agreement regarding science and technological cooperation, so as to resume and further improve official cooperation mechanisms at an early date, and provide financial support and necessary facilitation for joint innovation projects. Meanwhile, we also hope that Romania, as a member of the European Union, will play an active and constructive role in promoting EU to approach cooperation from the broader perspective of the China–EU comprehensive strategic partnership and the need to maintain stable global industrial and supply chains. By doing so, we can together foster a sound and predictable market environment for deeper China-EU cooperation in the new energy sector and jointly promote the global transition toward low-carbon, green, and sustainable development.
What message would you like to convey to young Romanians interested in China’s culture, education, or economic opportunities?
China is a country with a long history and a splendid civilization — vast in territory, rich in natural beauty, and profound in cultural heritage. The Chinese people are warm, friendly, and open-minded. China is a land where ancient traditions and distinctive regional cultures coexist harmoniously with dynamic modern cities and vibrant creativity. From traditional arts such as calligraphy, Peking Opera, and tea culture, to contemporary expressions like film, design, and animation, and further to cutting-edge fields including artificial intelligence, quantum communication, aerospace technology, and green energy — all these reflect the unique spirit of the Chinese people in blending traditional wisdom with modern innovation, and demonstrate the strong resilience and vitality of China’s economy.
Young people are the pillars of national development and a dynamic force in international exchanges. At a time when a new wave of scientific and industrial revolutions is unfolding across the globe, the world demands ever-greater breakthroughs and innovation. Innovation and creativity have thus become the driving force for youth to pursue their aspirations. We warmly welcome young people from all sectors of Romanian society to visit China, to see the country with their own eyes and experience its economic development and cultural vitality firsthand. Through what they observe and hear, we hope they will share a comprehensive and objective story of China with the world, while also helping more young Chinese people gain a better understanding of Romania. We hope that the youth of both countries will work together to carry forward our traditional friendship and become a vibrant driving force for the continued development of China–Romania relations.
How will you promote the development of China-Romania relations in your mandate?
As the 22nd Ambassador of China to Romania, I have been in office for just over a month, but have already experienced the warmth and friendship between our two peoples and gained a deep appreciation of the tremendous potential of China–Romania cooperation. I look forward to working together with friends from all walks of Romanian society to advance exchanges and collaboration across various fields, and to make new contributions to the cause of China–Romania friendship.
I hope to encourage more exchanges, visits, consultations, and dialogues at various levels between the governments, political parties, and legislative bodies of our two countries. By strengthening political communication and policy dialogue, enhancing mutual understanding and trust, and improving cooperation mechanisms across different fields, we can promote coordinated development and deeper collaboration in all areas. I hope to encourage the business communities and local governments of both countries, including provinces and cities, to further strengthen exchanges, tap into their potential, and create more tangible outcomes of cooperation.
I also hope to promote the continued expansion of people-to-people exchanges between our two countries in areas such as education, culture, youth, and sports. I encourage more citizens from both nations to visit each other’s countries, deepen mutual understanding, and help the China–Romania friendship flourished like a tree growing tall and strong.
On October 10, 2025, Nine O’Clock celebrated its 34th anniversary with a special 120-page edition titled “Top Interviews, Messages, and Speeches of Ambassadors and CEOs – Happy 34th Anniversary, Nine O’Clock! 2025 Edition.” What is your opinion on this initiative by the newspaper’s new management? Do you believe such a publication is relevant and necessary in today’s media and business landscape? We would also be honored to receive an exclusive statement from you for this edition. Additionally, you are warmly invited to the launch event, which will take place in November 2025 at one of the embassies in Romania.
People-to-people connections serves as the foundation of friendly cooperation between nations, while media acts as a bridge for mutual understanding among their peoples. Nine O’Clock has provided a valuable platform for communication between foreign diplomats in Romania and the Romanian public through its publication “Top Interviews, Messages, and Speeches of Ambassadors and CEOs – Happy 34th Anniversary, Nine O’Clock! 2025 Edition”. This initiative has helped bring the peoples of different countries closer together, and I highly commend it. Congratulations to Nine O’Clock on its 34th anniversary! I hope you will continue to serve as a vital bridge through the media, and I wish you even greater success in the years to come.