Agriculture Minister Dejan Židan said in his address that entering the Chinese market requires systematic action with multiple steps.

"At first you have to get to know the countryand then its people to become a kind of friend. Trust must be built and then business can follow," the minister noted.

According to him, Slovenia has opportunities, as it is strong in technical industries for which China is a prime market. But it must be clear that it is not possible to penetrate the market without knowledge. Quality buyers can be found for high-quality products, he added.

Several business executives also attended the conference, with Robert Serec of dairy producer Pomurske mlekarne stressing that procedures for entering the market were very complex due to past scandals which led to stricter conditions.

Ten years ago, Slovenia exported EUR 60m worth of goods to China and imported EUR 400m from the country. Since then, imports have doubled and exports have more than quadrupled. Exports to China currently total just shy of EUR 300m.

The most important food product Slovenia exported to China in 2016 was hops, followed by wines, mineral waters and juices. On the other hand, fodder, fish fillets, crabs and vegetable juices were the most imported items.