Slovakia and China have upgraded their bilateral relationship to a new level of “strategic partnership”,  China’s President Xi Jinping announced during a visit by populist Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on November 1. 

The agreement represents another success in Beijing's strategy of building support among CEE member states of the European Union, thereby preventing any potential united EU policy against China, following the announcement of a similar deal with Hungary in May. 

“The visit to China has a strategic nature and expresses mutual respect between both countries,” Fico highlighted on his Facebook page, where he also released photographs from his visit.

Fico is accompanied by eight cabinet ministers and 66 companies and trade associations, according to the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS),  but few details have been released since Fico’s departure from Bratislava on October 31. The Czech Press Agency reported that no journalists were accompanying the delegation.

“Fico’s visit is happening rather secretly,” the head of Bratislava-based CEIAS Matej Šimalčík commented on his LinkedIn profile, adding that neither the official agenda, list of delegation members, nor the list of accompanying people were officially announced.

Despite proclaiming himself a socialist, Fico is an open supporter of the radical rightwing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and often copies his playbook, in this case by strengthening ties with the Chinese communist regime in order to win future investment and trade deals. 

Hungary is the biggest recipient of Chinese foreign direct investment in recent years and has on occasions blocked a united EU foreign policy stance towards Beijing, proclaiming it is taking a pragmatic stance for the country's benefit, and does not want to interfere in China's internal affairs. Building relations with Beijing and keeping channels open with Vladimir Putin's Russia are also seen as a way of rebalancing Hungary's foreign policy and showing an often criticial Brussels that the country has other options.

The head of CEIAS’s Prague Office Filip Šebok wrote on his X account that Fico “expressed support for China’s three global initiatives (global development, civilization and security)” and opposed “unilateralism and hegemonism”.

Šebok also noted that “there was discussion on Ukraine, with the two sides praising each other’s stance” and that Fico said “Slovakia is willing to join the Friends of Peace group on Ukraine and contribute to the political resolution of the conflict together with China”.

After forming his left-right cabinet, Fico has reoriented Slovak foreign policy from a staunch backer of Ukraine to a Kremlin-pleasing stance, calling for peace negotiations with the Kremlin.

Before departing for China, Fico appeared on the Russian state propaganda channel Rossiya 1 in an unprecedented interview, calling for security guarantees for Russia.