At Han's invitation, Židan took part in the International Tea Expo 2017 yesterday. Addressing the attendants, he said the fair not only had a cultural and economic component, but was also a promotional event indicating the level of cooperation with individual countries.

According to a press release from the Agriculture Ministry, Židan congratulated China for the organisation of the international forum on its Belt and Road development initiative that concluded in Beijing this week and was attended by Slovenia's Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Jure Leben.

He stressed that cooperation between Slovenia and China intensified greatly over the last years and was very successful in different areas, adding that high-level visits contributed greatly to the development of the ties.

The cooperation transcends economic ties and Židan highlighted cooperation in science and education, illustrating it with the example of the Yunnan University and the Slovenian Karst Research Institute.

Moreover, he underlined the 16+1 initiative as another important framework of cooperation that includes 16 countries of Central and Eastern Europe and China.

This year, Slovenia will host the 12th Agro-Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, which Židan said would be one of the most important events of the year in the country.

On Thursday, Židan also attended the opening of a production plant of a joint venture between Slovenian maker of in-wheel electric motors Elaphe and its Chinese partner Zheijang Asia-Pacific Mechanical & Electronic.

The ministry sees the investment as a great success and capitalisation of Slovenian knowledge and technology on the Chinese automotive market and further on the global market.

Among the achievements of his two-day visit, Židan highlighted the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the national food safety agencies on control of food products that will speed up the procedures for approving Slovenian food imports to China.