Cooperation between Bulgaria and China : Challenges, Opportunities and Some Recommendations 保加利亚与中国的合作：机遇、挑战以及一些建议

This year we celebrate 75 years of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and China. Now Bulgaria is a country that is trying to re-industrialize, i.e. to re-attain the level of 1989 so that it can fit into the socio-economic and political realities of the 21st century. From this point of view, the Chinese example, the Chinese experience are of paramount importance to our country. Therefore, it is quite logical that if there is consensus on a foreign policy problem of Bulgaria, then this consensus can be attributed precisely to our constructive and nationally responsible attitude to the dynamic development of our relations with the PRC. This is confirmed by the frequent visits, mainly from Bulgaria to China, of the heads of state governance. This is confirmed by the constructive attitude of Bulgaria towards the format for comprehensive development of relations between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. I have repeatedly said that this format has become an experimental platform, from which the idea of the Belt and Road Initiative, formulated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, started.

In this connection, the signing of the joint document between the Presidents of Bulgaria and China on the strategic nature of the relations between the two countries was quite a logical result. However, we should not fall into unnecessary euphoria on this subject, because the signing of this important document was long overdue. We can give examples of increasing Bulgarian exports to China and Chinese imports into Bulgaria.

It is also very important to focus our attention on seeking new approaches to the problem of Chinese investments in Bulgaria. Indeed, there are some encouraging steps in this direction. They are mainly related to the provision, by the Chinese Development Bank, through our Bank for Development, of a credit line for the development of economic relations between the two countries. This opportunity made available by the Chinese state, which provides over a billion euros in resources. However, if we ask the question how much of these funds have been utilized, the answer is too pessimistic. So far, only 25-30 million euros have been used on this line. Even more frightening is that this money is directed to structures that have no significant contribution or even interest in the development of economic ties between Bulgaria and China. At the same time, projects that could actually drive forward the wheel of Bulgarian-Chinese economic relations, are blocked. This applies first and foremost for companies that have entered into some form of cooperation or partnership with Chinese economic structures. There are powerful Chinese companies who are ready to risk by investing in our country and participating in the construction of the new Bulgarian economic infrastructure. This is especially true for sectors that are extremely important for Bulgaria, such as transport infrastructure, such as high-tech production, such as the creation of modern techno parks, such as tourism development, etc.

Bilateral trade is also developing at a very timid and unsatisfactory pace. I will give another example related to the Bulgarian Development Bank, which is under the control of the Council of Ministers. China opened a US$ 100 million line of credit to stimulate foreign trade between the two countries and, in the first place, to promote Bulgarian exports to the PRC. It sounds strange, but no more than 4 percent of that money was used.

The main thing on which we differ from China and which is a guarantee of the success of their economic policy is the thesis of the need for a new development paradigm, including the so-called “dual circulation” in which domestic and foreign markets reinforce each other, but the domestic market is given priority, unlike in the recent past.

And as Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized in his speech at the opening of the World Economic Forum in Davos, only by building internal circulation can China withstand rapid changes in the international arena.

In this regard, it can be said that the Chinese example is extremely important for Bulgaria, because it shows that without the creation of an effective system for stimulating domestic demand and without encouraging consumer spending, it is impossible to achieve a sustainable course of economic and social development. To this, of course, we must add that the achievement of these tasks is directly related to the development of science and the search for new technological solutions, which are the key to the new paradigm of development.

Unfortunately, we have to state that Bulgaria is still far from understanding and assimilating the Chinese experience in this direction. How can this be overcome? First of all, through a serious study and comprehensive awareness of the management elite in Bulgaria about China’s experience. But not least by using the presence in our country of such technological and economic giants as Huawei.

Unfortunately, however, we must state that despite the growth of Huawei’s investments in Bulgaria over the past five years, we are far from using the opportunities to fully absorb the experience of this transnational corporation in achieving a breakthrough in technological and economic development in the context of this new paradigm.

Huawei is present in Bulgaria primarily as a supplier of its production and technological components, but not as a trust for complex technological development. The opportunity to use Huawei’s experience in the educational process, in the raising of young and promising scientific personnel and in the constant increase in the qualification of the production potential in the field of new technologies remains unrealized. So what has been achieved so far is woefully inadequate. We must say that these findings about Huawei also apply to the overall state of Bulgarian-Chinese economic and scientific-technical relations.

This is the real picture today. On the one hand, there is a good political development and a climate of trust and mutual interest in the relations between Sofia and Beijing, and on the other hand, in the area of concrete effects and practical results, we are lagging very seriously. from our neighbors in the Balkans and from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Not to mention the countries that are crucial for the development of the EU and the European Economic Area.

I think we should not, however, fall into unnecessary pessimism, but work to maximize the potential of Bulgarian-Chinese relations. I would like to point out that the discrepancy, which was discussed, gave rise to the creation of a number of non-governmental structures, which work in the field of Bulgarian-Chinese relations and represent the interests of certain professional groups of Bulgarian economic life.

Five years ago, we created the Bulgaria National Association for the Belt and Road and embarked on the path of uniting the forces of civil society. Along with this, we set ourselves the task of using the extremely powerful resource possessed by various private economic entities, as well as the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Bulgarian Industrial Association. In the scientific field we have included BAS and leading universities. The interest in culture and spiritual life has led us to include in our national Association the leaders of all major creative unions in the country.

It seems to me that the way out of the problems in the Bulgarian-Chinese relations, or figuratively speaking, the “bottlenecks” in this respect, is in the first place in the harmonization of the relations between the civil sector and the government bodies. Only in this way will we be able to become constructive, positive and maximizing our potential, partners of the PRC.

The cooperation between China and Bulgaria is a field of wide and untapped opportunities that has yet to be plowed to bear rich fruits. The geographical location and natural features of Bulgaria combined with the traditionally good attitude of the people of both countries to each other are a good basis on which to build strong ties with a long-term perspective. These links could already be a fact if it were not for some mistakes in the approaches. And since the definition of errors is half the solution, this definition cannot be wishful thinking. It is mandatory.
Weaknesses of Chinese-Bulgarian cooperation over the past 10 years:

1. Trade imbalance: Bulgaria heavily depends on exports of low value-added goods to China, and there is limited two-way trade in high-tech products.

2. Potential impact on sovereignty and security: There have been concerns about the potential impact of Chinese investment on Bulgaria's sovereignty and security.

3. Uneven distribution of benefits: Some stakeholders have raised concerns about the uneven distribution of benefits from Chinese investment and trade, with some communities and industries potentially being left behind.

However, there are also challenges in the Chinese-Bulgarian relationship:

Trade imbalance: Bulgaria heavily relies on exports of low value-added goods to China, with a limited number of high-tech products being imported from China.

Sovereignty and security concerns: Some people have raised concerns about the potential impact of Chinese investment on Bulgaria‘s sovereignty and security.

Overall, the strengths and weaknesses of Chinese-Bulgarian cooperation over the past 10 years highlight both the opportunities and challenges of the relationship, and it will be important for both

countries to address these challenges in order to continue to strengthen and develop their cooperation.

First and foremost, it is necessary to get out of the narrow framework of official interstate relations, because:

1. These frameworks are too narrow for the relations of friendship between our peoples.

2. Bulgaria is a member of political, economic and military structures that, over time, are becoming more and more hostile to the People’s Republic of China, to Chinese citizens and to more and more Chinese initiatives in particular. This trend shows signs of deepening and should neither be ignored nor underestimated.

3. There are suitable people for the sincere and conscientious development of bilateral relations, but they are rarely found and even more rarely are they used according to their talents, abilities and, last but not least, opportunities.

4. Legal but non-standard methods, approaches and solutions in the development of bilateral relations are poorly sought and poorly applied, that is, methods, approaches and solutions that allow overcoming the artificially created administrative barriers and obstacles to the deployment of a much wider , a much deeper and much more mutually beneficial cooperation for both peoples.

In the sense of the above, for the development of bilateral relations, one must rely on a wide range of people from the circles of small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, researchers, students, ordinary workers, bright representatives of the artistic and creative intelligentsia and the most honest and principled journalists from the media. These people should be outside the circle of typical interstate relations that develop between the state administrations of our two countries. And these people must be engaged in specific programs related to the realization of their aspirations, dreams and interests. That is, things should not develop only in terms of information and mutual acquaintance, but through joint programs for those participating in them to connect their daily lifestyles and the existence of their families with China – professionally, through hobbies, scientific developments, creative projects, innovations and etc. etc. Of course, at the base of the projects from the Bulgarian side, first of all, not formal, but informal leaders should be engaged, enjoying the unreserved trust of all the Bulgarian community participating in a given joint project.

Secondly, after the principle decision to develop bilateral relations beyond the narrow state-bureaucratic framework is taken, it is necessary to define not just the plain priorities, but the mutually beneficial priorities for our peoples, in connection with the implementation of which and around which they will be built both the relationships and the structures that will develop them. These priorities should be programmatically formulated in the way that the Bulgarian National Association “One Belt One Road” does today. With the only difference that the priorities must be accompanied by specific persons responsible for the implementation, by specific deadlines for the implementation and by sufficient resources for the implementation of the resulting tasks.

Thirdly, one must always keep in mind the fact that in the near future the conditions for direct cooperation will inevitably deteriorate, due to the fact that the overall management of the Republic of Bulgaria is carried out under the conditions of pressure and dictates of external forces, which will inevitably influence on the working environment and atmosphere of any current and future joint activity. Which implies a wider use of civil, friendly and informal structures in relations and a shift to indirect, mediated by foreign natural and legal persons connections between the formal economic, cultural and other structures that implement cooperation between the two countries. Individuals and entities making indirect connections must be registered in countries that are not subject to US and European Union sanctions, but are not themselves involved in any sanctions directed against the People’s Republic of China.

Fourthly, the need to establish a bank or bank branch through which payments between partners can be made directly or better still indirectly is more urgent than ever.

Or in short, after defining the priorities, after creating the structures, after deploying the contacts, after setting the tasks and after ensuring the implementation with the necessary resources, it remains only to monitor the implementation of the set parameters and control the development of relations in the already set direction . The correct determination of priorities, clear goals and time frames, good personnel selection of the people who will implement them and the appropriate material provision of the teams working in the relevant areas are decisive for the success of all such initiatives.

There are several ways to improve the Chinese-Bulgarian trade relationship:

1. Balancing trade: The two countries could work together to address the trade imbalance by encouraging Bulgarian companies to export more high-tech products to China and promoting Chinese investment in value-added industries in Bulgaria.

2. Fostering innovation and technology transfer: Encouraging technology transfer and innovation through joint ventures and research collaborations could help improve the competitiveness of Bulgarian companies and increase their exports to China.

3. Promoting cultural exchange: Increasing cultural exchange through business, academic, and cultural events could help improve understanding and trust between the two countries and facilitate greater cooperation.

4. Addressing concerns: Addressing concerns about the impact of Chinese investment on Bulgaria‘s sovereignty and security can help to build trust and increase cooperation.

5. Streamlining procedures: Simplifying and streamlining trade and investment procedures could help to reduce barriers and increase cooperation between the two countries.

Guidelines and recommendations for possible actions on the further implementation and development of the cooperation mechanism between China and Bulgaria

Advice and recommendations of the conducted research the following guidelines outline in which ways should be sought accelerated development of bilateral relations.

In the public political sphere

1.Organization of an international scientific conference on the topic: “The Chinese factor in the civilizational changes of the 20th century”.

2.Organization of an International Judicial Forum, on the topic: “Legal aspects of the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative and establishment of an International Legal Advisory Body, with the participation of lawyers from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

In the field of economy

1.Trakia Gold unified Bulgarian trade standard system and the interconnected Research Commercial Investment Digital Center (developed in more detail later on).

2.Assistance in establishing showrooms (exhibition halls) and trade centers representing Chinese trade giants such as Yiwu, Shanghai, etc. (developed in more detail later on)

3.Continuation of work on the construction of the Silistra – Shumen – Karnobat – Yambol – Lesovo expressway and the Silistra – Kalarash cross-border link, a transport link of the “One Belt, One Road” project, connecting Greece (Alexandropoulos port) and Turkey via Bulgaria, with Romania, Moldova, Slovakia, etc.

4.Launching the idea of an international airport in the Gotse Delchev region (on the site of a former German military airport, with a ready made project) which will serve the development of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative not only in the Rhodopes region, but also in a a wider cross-border region covering Bulgaria, northern Greece and the European part of Turkey.

5.Joint projects in the mining industry.

6.Establishment of partnership cooperation in the field of electric vehicle construction and energy storage issues. Support the development and implementation of a unified charging system for electric vehicles.

7.Strengthening cooperation in the field of agriculture in the following main directions:

● The impact of climate change on cereal crops
● Food from organic farming – quality and safety
● Medicinal plants – status, quality and prospects

8. Development of cooperation in the field of tourism and the wellness industry. The development of a project for the construction of a base in Semkovo, which, in addition to the traditional tourist aspects of educational, mountain, winter and cultural tourism, will also offer a specific product – traditional Chinese medicine.

In the fields of science and education

1. Creation, jointly with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Technical University and the telecommunication giant Huawei, of an Academic Center for Technology Transfer in Sofia.

2. Assistance of the competent authorities on both sides to elaborate and sign an agreement on mutual recognition of diplomas.

3. Support the implementation of the current projects under the Program for Bilateral Scientific Cooperation RB – PRC.

4. The representatives of the ministries of education and universities of both countries to develop and propose a Project for an international master’s program “Civilizational Development of Eurasia”.

5. The creation of a network of schools for tourism and high technologies

Cultural cooperation

1. The cooperation between the professional unions of the journalists of the two countries should find expression in the development of a program to reflect the achievements of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

2. Creation and maintenance of a website of the National Association for the Belt and Road”.

3. Initiation of an international publishing program for literary works dedicated to the civilizational ideas underlying the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

4. Organization of annual international art exhibitions, hosted alternatively, to reflect the thematic diversity of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

5. Development of cooperation between the national theaters of the two countries.

6. The realization of a feature-documentary film co-production “The Silk Road” .

7. Engaging the cooperation of the telecommunications giant Huawei in the already traditional film competition “Cinema in the Palm” for amateur films realized with the help of a mobile phone.

Initiatives in the field of youth partnership and enterpreneurship

1. Establishment of an international youth business forum based in Sofia on the basis of the signed protocol between our Association and the National Youth Organization of the People’s Republic of China.

2. Continuation of the successfully launched international youth dialogue on various aspects of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative in various formats – bilateral, “China-CEE” or an even wider format.

3. Support of young entrepreneurs and leaders through the cooperation platforms of the global initiative “One Belt, One Road” and the ” China-CEE” Format. Contribution to creating a digital and

modern world based on business and cross-border partnerships.

Central to the Association’s proposals is the Trakia Gold unified Bulgarian trade standard system. At the center of this idea, which should bring the efforts of private business closer to the capabilities of state institutions, is the creation of a Research Commercial Investment Digital Center.

The main goal in this case, through digitalization of trade and payments, is the centralization of the process and the achievement of correct trade and logistics using an established network of consumers and producers in Asia, Bulgaria and CEE; improving mutual understanding of local cultures, business practices, laws and regulations; increasing dialogue and opportunities for cooperation and mutual understanding through customized events and meetings between public and private sectors; to provide professional support for mutual investment and commercial initiatives; preparing analyzes for research on investment climate, risk reduction, quality enhancement and return.

The problem of the Bulgarian manufacturers of fast-moving goods and consumer goods is that they would hardly enter the market of the countries of the “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership” /RCEP/, resp. would find it difficult to establish direct long-term commercial relationships with regional resellers or end customers; The production capacity combined with the cultural and language barriers of most producers and traders appears to be too small and/or complex for the volumes and quality of the quantities demanded by the RCEP market.

This necessitates the logical necessity of creating a business unit /digital platform/ which collects information on the available for sale/export quantities of specific goods from all Bulgarian producers in a given field, offering them under a unified Bulgarian brand – ” Trakia Gold” on RCEP market; This provides and implies: Centralization of trade and logistics control; Research work; Marketing; Price positioning and greater accessibility of the product makes it possible to enter this segment; Offering integrated trade-related and banking/blockchain based services.

Trakia Gold’s commercial strategy is to initially focus on increasing the volume of trade in the food industry: Wines and alcoholic products; Mineral water; Rose oils and other cosmetics; Tobacco products; Agricultural products.

As we outlined above, special attention should also be paid to the need to create commercial and economic centers in Sofia and other Bulgarian cities, based on the experience of the PRC in countries such as Poland and Germany, with permanent exhibition and warehouse space. There, Bulgarian manufacturers and traders will be able to get to know first-hand the extremely wide export possibilities of the PRC and place their orders, which will be able to be fulfilled in a short time. On a reciprocal basis, using Trakia Gold, similar centers can be found on the territory of the PRC. It is important to note that this matter was discussed and agreed with the leadership of the Shanghai Reform Commission.

The idea of creating a network of “sister cities and sister regions” between cities and regions of Bulgaria and China deserves special attention. In this regard, we have the good basis of already signed twinning agreements between individual cities and regions of both countries, which unfortunately still exist formally.

And their inclusion in a common system, within an Association of twinned cities and regions, with leadership changing on a rotating basis and by building a single center for information exchange and communication, can allow this initiative to establish itself as the backbone of the Bulgarian-Chinese partnership and cooperation.

Conclusion

In our opinion, it would be useful, based on the present analysis and the proposals contained therein, to organize in the near future the first Bulgarian-Chinese Public Economic and Political Forum to discuss the possibility of building a long-term strategy for the development of comprehensive relations between our two sides.

It is precisely in these crisis phenomena in world politics and in the economy that the voice of people’s diplomacy, the voice of every nation, must rise and become stronger.

It is necessary to unite reasonable and far-sighted politicians, historians, scientists, cultural figures and public figures who understand that different views on a particular problem do not interfere with the peaceful coexistence of countries and peoples and that, subject to mutual respect, a dialogue of states is possible using different civilizational development models.

We consider the diversity of peoples living on Earth to be the greatest value, each of which contributes to the development of world civilization: science, culture, technical achievements. Creative and cultural potential, spiritual knowledge and historical experience of each nation is an inexhaustible source of civilization development. Based on this diversity, respecting the spiritual ideals and cultural values of peoples, we strive to strengthen ties between people and countries, to offer a new format of international relations built on mutual respect and trust.

Realizing the need for new initiatives that can unite all sound forces for the sake of peace on Earth, we need radical changes in the field of international cohabitation.

At the basis of these changes, we must also put the question of building a new system of international communication, erected on the foundations of new principles of international law. Such an approach will be a positive reflection of the constructive development of a peaceful dialogue between peoples. The new system of international law should provide opportunities to better understand each other, to look at national traditions, to preserve spiritual and family values. It should provide an opportunity for mutual search for solutions to many issues of the spiritual renewal of society, which ultimately acquire a global character.

Today, when new realities dictate the agenda in the field of international relations, when the influence of non-governmental organizations on the formation of foreign and domestic policies has noticeably increased, when government officials increasingly listen to the demands of civil society when making decisions, there are broader prospects for the formation of qualitatively new interethnic , interreligious, humanitarian and new interstate relations. Obviously, it is possible to effectively counter common challenges and threats only by collective efforts in the spirit of joint responsibility.

今年，我们将庆祝中华人民共和国成立75周年和保中建交75 周年。现在，保加利亚正在努力实现再工业化，即重新达到 1989 年的水平，以适应21世纪的社会经济和政治现实。从这一点来看，中国的榜样、中国的经验对我国至关重要。因此，如果在保加利亚的外交政策问题上能够达成共识，那么这种共识恰恰可以归功于我们对积极发展与中华人民共和国的关系所采取的建设性和对国家负责任的态度。国家首脑频繁访华（主要是从保加利亚角度）就是证明。保加利亚对中国与中东欧国家全面发展关系模式的建设性态度也证明了这一点。我曾多次说过，这一模式已成为一个实验平台，中国国家主席习近平提出的一带一路倡议就是从这个平台开始的。

在这方面，保中两国总统签署关于两国关系战略性质的联合文件是顺理成章的结果。然而，我们不应该在这个问题上陷入不必要的兴奋之中，因为这份重要文件的签署早就应该实现了。我们可以举出保加利亚对华出口和中国对保加利亚进口不断增长的例子。

保中合作是一个尚未开发的广阔领域

同样重要的是，我们应集中精力寻求新的方法来解决中国在保加利亚的投资问题。事实上，在这方面已经采取了一些令人鼓舞的步骤。这些步骤主要涉及中国国家开发银行通过我国的发展银行为发展两国之间的经济关系提供信贷额度。中国政府提供了这一机会，提供了超过10亿欧元的资金额度。然而，如果我们问这些资金使用了多少，答案却过于悲观。到目前为止，只用出去2500万～3000万欧元。更可怕的是，这些资金被用于对发展保中经济关系没有重大贡献甚至没有兴趣的机构。与此同时，那些能够真正推动保中经济关系发展的项目却受到了阻碍。这首先适用于那些与中国的经济机构建立了某种形式的合作或伙伴关系的公司。一些有实力的中国公司愿意冒风险在我国投资，参与保加利亚新经济基础设施的建设。尤其是对保加利亚极为重要的行业，如交通基础设施、高科技生产、现代科技园区的创建、旅游开发等。

双边贸易的发展速度也非常缓慢，不能令人满意。我再举一个与保加利亚发展银行有关的例子，该银行由部长会议控制。中国开放1亿美元的信贷额度，以刺激两国之间的外贸，首先是促进保加利亚对中国的出口。这听起来很奇怪，但这笔钱只用了不到4%。

我们与中国的主要不同之处，也是他们经济政策取得成功的保证，在于他们提出了需要新的发展模式的论点，包括所谓的 “双循环”，即国内市场和国外市场相互促进，但与近期不同的是，国内市场优先。

正如中国国家主席习近平之前在达沃斯世界经济论坛开幕式上的讲话中所强调的，只有建立内部循环，中国才能抵御国际舞台上的快速变化。

在这方面，可以说，中国的例子对保加利亚极为重要，因为它表明，如果不建立有效的刺激内需制度，不鼓励消费者消费，就不可能实现经济和社会的可持续发展。当然，我们还必须补充一点，即这些任务的完成与寻求科学的发展和新技术解决方案的直接相关，而这正是新发展模式的关键所在。

遗憾的是，我们必须指出，保加利亚还远远没有理解和吸收中国在这方面的经验。如何克服这一困难呢？首先，保加利亚的管理精英要认真学习和全面了解中国的经验。但更重要的是，要利用像华为这样的技术和经济巨头在我国的存在。

但遗憾的是，我们必须指出，尽管过去五年华为在保加利亚的投资有所增长，但我们还远远没有利用这些机会充分吸收这家跨国公司的经验，在这一新模式的背景下实现技术和经济发展的突破。
华为在保加利亚的存在主要是作为其生产和技术组件的供应商，而不是作为复杂技术开发的信托机构。

在教育过程中，在培养年轻有为的科学人才方面，在不断提高新技术领域生产潜力的资质方面，利用华为经验的机会仍未实现。因此，迄今为止所取得的成就是远远不够的。我们必须说，关于华为的这些结论也适用于保中经济和科技关系的总体状况。

这就是今天的真实情况。一方面，索非亚和北京之间的关系有着良好的政治发展和互信互利的氛围，而另一方面，在具体效果和实际成果方面，我们却严重落后于巴尔干地区的邻国和中东欧国家。更不用说那些对欧盟和欧洲经济区的发展至关重要的国家了。

然而，我认为我们不应陷入不必要的悲观，而应努力最大限度地发挥保中关系的潜力。

我想指出的是，我们讨论过的这种差异导致了一些非政府机构的成立，这些机构在保中关系领域开展工作，并代表保加利亚经济生活中某些专业群体的利益。

五年前，我们成立了保加利亚一带一路全国协会，走上了联合民间社会力量的道路。与此同时，我们为自己设定的任务是利用各种私营经济实体以及保加利亚工商会和保加利亚工业协会所拥有的极其强大的资源。在科学领域，我们吸纳了保加利亚科学院和一流大学。对文化和精神生活的兴趣促使我们将国内所有主要创作联盟的领导人纳入我们的全国协会。

在我看来，解决保中关系问题的出路，或者形象地说，这方面的 “瓶颈”，首先在于协调民间部门与政府机构之间的关系。

只有这样，我们才能成为中华人民共和国建设性的、积极的、最大限度发挥自身潜力的合作伙伴。

中国和保加利亚之间的合作是一个尚未开发的广阔领域，只有耕耘才能结出丰硕的果实。保加利亚的地理位置和自然特征，加上两国人民传统的良好关系，是建立长期牢固联系的良好基础。如果不是在方法上的一些错误，这些联系可能已经成为事实。既然认定错误就是解决了一半问题，那么这种认定就不能是一厢情愿的想法。它具有强制性。

过去 10 年保中合作的弱项：

1. 贸易不平衡：保加利亚严重依赖向中国出口低附加值产品，高科技产品的双向贸易有限。

2. 对主权和安全的潜在影响：中国投资对保加利亚主权和安全的潜在影响一直备受关注。

3. 利益分配不均：一些利益相关者对中国投资和贸易带来的利益分配不均表示担忧，因为一些社区和行业可能会被抛在后面。

然而，中保关系也面临着挑战：

1.贸易不平衡：保加利亚严重依赖向中国出口低附加值产品，从中国进口的高科技产品数量有限。

2.主权和安全问题： 一些人担心中国投资对保加利亚主权和安全的潜在影响。

总体而言，过去十年保中合作的优缺点凸显了两国关系的机遇和挑战，两国必须应对这些挑战，以继续加强和发展合作。

首先，必须跳出狭隘的国家间官方关系框架，因为：

1.这些框架对于我们两国人民之间的友好关系来说过于狭隘。

2.保加利亚是政治、经济和军事机构中的一员，随着时间的推移，这些机构越来越敌视中华人民共和国，敌视中国公民，尤其是敌视越来越多的中国倡议。这一趋势有加深的迹象，既不容忽视，也不容低估。

3.诚心诚意地发展双边关系的合适人选是有的，但很少有人能找到，更很少有人能因材施教、量才使用，最重要的是没有机会。

4.发展双边关系的合法但非标准的方法、途径和解决方案很少得到寻求和应用，也就是说，那些能够克服人为制造的行政壁垒和障碍，为两国人民开展更广泛、更深入和更互利合作的方法、途径和解决方案很少得到寻求和应用。

从上述意义上讲，发展双边关系必须依靠来自中小型企业家、研究人员、学生、普通工人、艺术和创造性知识分子的杰出代表以及最诚实和最有原则的媒体记者等各界人士。这些人应该不属于我们两国国家行政部门之间典型的国家间关系圈。这些人必须参与同实现其愿望、梦想和利益相关的具体计划。也就是说，不应仅在信息和相互了解方面发展，而应通过联合项目，让参与其中的人将其日常生活方式和家庭生活与中国联系起来——通过职业、兴趣爱好、科学发展、创造性项目、创新等等。当然，在保加利亚方面的项目基础上，首先应该有非正式的领导人参与，他们应得到参与特定联合项目的所有保加利亚人毫无保留的信任。

其次，在做出超越狭隘的国家-官僚框架发展双边关系的原则性决定之后，有必要确定的不仅仅是普通的优先事项，而是对我们两国人民互利的优先事项，在实施这些优先事项的过程中，围绕这些优先事项建立关系和发展关系的结构。

这些优先事项应像保加利亚一带一路全国协会今天所做的那样，有计划地制定。唯一不同的是，这些优先事项必须有具体的实施责任人、具体的实施期限和充足的资源来执行由此产生的任务。

第三，我们必须始终牢记，在不久的将来，直接合作的条件将不可避免地恶化，因为保加利亚共和国的整体管理是在外部力量的压力和支配下进行的，这将不可避免地影响到任何当前和未来联合活动的工作环境和氛围。

这意味着在两国关系中更广泛地利用民间、友好和非正式的结构，并转向由外国自然人和法人在两国正式的经济、文化和其他结构之间建立间接的联系。建立间接联系的个人和实体必须在不受美国和欧盟制裁的国家注册，但其本身不涉及任何针对中华人民共和国的制裁。

第四，现在比以往任何时候都更迫切需要建立银行或银行分行，通过这些银行或银行分行，合作伙伴之间可以直接或间接地进行支付。

或者简而言之，在确定了优先事项、建立了机构、部署了联系人、确定了任务并以必要的资源确保执行之后，剩下的工作就是监督既定参数的执行情况，并控制各种关系在既定方向上的发展。

正确确定优先事项、明确目标和时间框架、做好执行人员的选拔工作以及为相关领域的工作团队提供适当的物质支持，是所有这些举措取得成功的决定性因素。

改善保中贸易关系有几种方法：

1、平衡贸易：两国可通过鼓励保加利亚公司向中国出口更多高科技产品，以及促进中国对保加利亚高附加值产业的投资，共同解决贸易不平衡问题。

2. 促进创新和技术转让：通过合资企业和研究合作鼓励技术转让和创新，有助于提高保加利亚公司的竞争力，增加对华出口。

3. 促进文化交流：通过商业、学术和文化活动加强文化交流，有助于增进两国之间的理解和信任，促进更广泛的合作。

4. 消除顾虑：消除对中国投资影响保加利亚主权和安全的担忧，有助于建立信任和加强合作。

5. 简化程序：简化和精简贸易和投资程序有助于减少两国之间的障碍，加强合作。

关于进一步落实和发展保中合作机制的指导原则和可行行动建议

根据所开展研究的结论、意见和建议，以下指导方针概述了应通过哪些途径加快双边关系的发展。

（一）在公共政治领域

1. 组织一次以“文明中的中国因素”为主题的国际科学会议：“20世纪文明变革中的中国因素”。

2. 举办国际司法论坛，主题为“实施一带一路倡议的法律问题和建立国际法律咨询机构”，来自中东欧国家的律师参加论坛。

（二）在经济领域

1. 用色雷斯黄金（保加利亚的考古遗存，出土的黄金饰品以精美驰名—译注）来统一保加利亚的贸易标准体系和相互连接的研究商业投资数字中心（稍后将详细介绍）。

2.协助建立代表中国贸易巨头的陈列室（展厅）和贸易中心，如义乌、上海等（稍后将详细介绍）。

3.继续修建锡利斯特拉-舒门-卡尔诺巴特-扬博尔-莱索沃高速公路和锡利斯特拉-卡拉拉什跨境连接线，这是一带一路项目的交通连接线，经保加利亚连接希腊（亚历山德罗普洛斯港）和土耳其，以及罗马尼亚、摩尔多瓦、斯洛伐克等国。

4.在戈采代尔切夫地区（德国军用机场旧址上，有一个现成的项目）启动国际机场的构想，该机场不仅将服务于罗多佩斯地区的一带一路倡议，还将服务于保加利亚、希腊北部和土耳其欧洲部分等更广泛的跨境地区的发展。

5.采矿业联合项目。

6.在电动汽车制造和能源储存领域建立合作伙伴关系。支持开发和实施统一的电动汽车充电系统。

7.从以下几个主要方面加强农业领域的合作：

● 气候变化对谷物的影响
● 有机农业食品——质量和安全
● 药用植物——现状、质量和前景

8.发展旅游和健康产业领域的合作。在塞姆科沃建立基地项目，除了传统的教育、山地、冬季和文化旅游外，还将提供特殊产品——传统中医药。

（三）在科学和教育领域

1.与保加利亚科学院、理工大学和电信巨头华为公司合作，在索非亚建立了技术转让学术中心。

2.协助双方主管当局制定并签署一项关于相互承认文凭的协议。

3.支持实施保中双边科学合作计划下的现有项目。

4.由两国教育部和大学的代表制定并提出 “欧亚文明发展 ”国际硕士课程项目。

5.建立旅游和高科技学校网络。

（四）文化合作

1.两国新闻工作者职业联盟之间的合作应体现在制定反映一带一路倡议成果的计划上。

2.建立和维护一带一路全国协会网站。

3. 启动一项国际文学作品出版计划，以宣传一带一路倡议的文明理念。

4.举办年度国际艺术展，轮流主办，以反映一带一路倡议的主题多样性。

5.发展两国国家剧院之间的合作。

6.共同制作纪录片《丝绸之路》。

7.与电信巨头华为公司合作，举办 “掌上影院 ”业余电影竞赛，该竞赛已成为利用手机拍摄业余电影的传统赛事。

（五）青年伙伴关系和企业精神领域的举措

1.根据本协会与中华人民共和国全国青联签署的议定书，在索非亚设立国际青年企业论坛。

2.继续就一带一路倡议的各个方面，以双边、“中国—中东欧国家合作机制”或更广泛的形式，成功开展国际青年对话。

3.通过一带一路全球倡议和 “中国—中东欧国家合作机制”形式的合作平台，支持青年企业家和领军人物。在商业和跨境伙伴关系的基础上，为创建一个数字化的现代世界做出贡献。

协会建议的核心是用色雷斯黄金来统一保加利亚的贸易标准体系。这一想法的核心是建立一个研究商业投资数字中心，该中心应使私营企业的努力更接近国家机构的能力。

在这种情况下，通过贸易和支付的数字化，主要目标是利用亚洲、保加利亚和中欧和东欧消费者和生产者的现有网络，实现流程的集中化和精确的贸易和物流；增进对当地文化、商业惯例、法律和法规的相互了解；通过公共和私营部门之间的定制活动和会议，增加对话以及合作和相互了解的机会；为相互投资和商业倡议提供专业支持；为研究投资环境、降低风险、提高质量和回报准备分析。

保加利亚快速消费品生产商面临的问题是，他们很难进入“区域全面经济伙伴关系” （RCEP）国家的市场，也很难与地区经销商或终端客户建立直接的长期商业关系；大多数生 产商和贸易商的生产能力以及文化和语言障碍似乎都太小和/或太复杂，无法满足RCEP市场对数量和质量的要求。

因此，有必要建立一个业务单位/数字平台，收集保加利亚所有生产商在特定领域的特定商品的可销售/出口量信息，并以统一的保加利亚品牌——色雷斯黄金在RCEP市场上销售这些商品；这并意味着集中贸易和物流控制；研究工作；市场营销；价格定位和产品的更大可及性使得进入这一细分市场成为可能；提供与贸易相关的综合服务和基于银行/区块链的服务。
色雷斯黄金公司的商业战略是在初期重点增加食品行业的贸易量：葡萄酒和酒精产品；矿泉水；玫瑰油和其他化妆品；烟草产品；农产品。

正如我们在上文所概述的，还应特别注意在索非亚和保加利亚其他城市建立商业和经济中心的必要性，这些中心应以中华人民共和国在波兰和德国等国的经验为基础，拥有永久性的展览和仓储空间。在那里，保加利亚的制造商和贸易商将能够直接了解中国极其广泛的出口可能性，并下订单，这些订单将能够在短时间内完成。在互惠的基础上，通过色雷斯黄金品牌，可以在中华人民共和国境内找到类似的中心。值得注意的是，此事已与上海市改革委员会领导进行了讨论并达成一致。

在保加利亚和中国的城市和地区之间建立“姐妹城市和姐妹地区”网络的想法值得特别关注。在这方面，我们有两国个别城市和地区之间已经签署的结对协议的良好基础，遗憾的是，这些协议仍然只是形式上存在。

将它们纳入一个共同的系统，在结对城市和地区协会内，领导层轮流更换，并建立一个单一的信息交流和沟通中心，可以使这一举措成为保中伙伴关系与合作的支柱。

结语

我们认为，根据这份分析及其中所包含的建议，在不久的将来举办第一届保中公共经济和政治论坛，讨论制定发展双方全面关系的长期战略的可能性，将是有益的。

正是在世界政治和经济出现危机的情况下，人民外交的声音、每一个国家的声音必须响起并变得更加强大。

有必要团结那些通情达理、高瞻远瞩的政治家、历史学家、科学家、文化界人士和公众人物，让他们明白，对某一问题的不同看法并不妨碍国家和人民的和平共处，在相互尊重的前提下，利用不同的文明发展模式进行国家对话是可能的。

我们认为，生活在地球上的各国人民的多样性是最大的价值，每一个民族都为世界文明的发展做出了贡献：科学、文化、技术成就。各民族的创造力和文化潜力、精神知识和历史经验是文明发展的不竭源泉。基于这种多样性，尊重各国人民的精神理想和文化价值，我们努力加强人民和国家之间的联系，提供一种建立在相互尊重和信任基础上的国际关系新形式。

我们认识到有必要采取新的举措，团结一切可以团结的力量，促进地球和平，因此，我们需要在国际共处领域进行彻底变革。

在这些变革的基础上，我们还必须提出在新的国际法原则基础上建立新的国际交流体系的问题。这将是各国人民和平对话建设性发展的积极体现。新的国际法体系应为更好地相互理解、审视民族传统、维护精神和家庭价值观提供机会。它应为相互寻求解决社会精神复兴的许多问题提供机会，这些问题最终将具有全球性质。

今天，当新的现实决定着国际关系领域的议程时，当非政府组织对外交和国内政策的影响明显增强时，当政府官员在决策时越来越多地听取民间社会的要求时，形成崭新的民族间、宗教间、人道主义和新的国家间关系的前景更加广阔。显然，只有本着共同负责的精神，通过集体努力，才能有效应对共同的挑战和威胁。