Romania sees huge potential in relations

As Saturday marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Romania, Dan-Horia Maxim, the Romanian ambassador to China, said the potential of bilateral relations in all possible domains is "far from being exhausted".

Romania is dedicated to strengthening bilateral relations and attaches paramount importance to this through continuous engagement and collaboration in various sectors, he said.

Romania forged diplomatic relations with China on Oct 5, 1949, becoming the third nation globally to establish such ties.

"Later, Romania has been one of the most active supporters of China regaining its righteous place in the highest forum of the nations of the world, the United Nations organization. These historic steps set the context of our political cooperation," Maxim said.

Maxim, who has been closely following China's development, arrived in the nation in November to take up his post.

"It is no secret for anyone — no country in recent history developed at such a speed, intensity and complexity as China did, mainly in the past 30 years."

"New China deserves its name, as China's development is impressive in many directions," Maxim said, adding that he looked forward to learning more stories about China's development during his term of office.

"Now China is Romania's largest commercial partner in Asia, but there is still a lot of room for improvement," he said.

According to China's Foreign Ministry, bilateral trade reached $10.56 billion last year, increasing 1.4 percent year-on-year.

"We will continue to seek opportunities that enhance our bilateral ties and contribute to mutual prosperity," the ambassador said.

He recalled the intense bilateral exchanges of students that started in 1950, right after the establishment of diplomatic relations, saying that such interaction "led to the fact that, from each other's perspective, China and Romania were no longer just some distant, exotic regions of the world, but countries engaged in cultural dialogue and people-to-people exchanges".

"Today, I am happy to see that the Romanian language and civilization is taught in five major universities across China and five Confucius Institutes are successfully active across Romania," Maxim said.

The ambassador fondly recalled organizing a "Day of the Romanians in the People's Republic of China" at the embassy, saying that he was happy to see Romanians living and working in China in various domains.

"They are well integrated, they respect and admire the country they live in and they raise their children, some from mixed families, in the spirit of Romanian and Chinese traditions. The same can be said, I am sure, about the Chinese community living in Romania. This is also a good structure upon which to keep building," he said.

While emphasizing that the bilateral relationship is of paramount importance, the ambassador said it "serves as a cornerstone for broader regional cooperation and exemplifies the potential for mutually beneficial partnerships".

Since the launch of Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries in 2012, Romania has been an active supporter of the platform, Maxim said, as it has fostered numerous opportunities for dialogue and collaboration.

The ambassador applauded the initiatives proposed by China, such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, highlighting the importance of addressing global challenges through cooperation and dialogue.

"Therefore, it is essential for countries to engage in discussions that promote mutual understanding and shared objectives," Maxim said.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn