The outgoing minister of economic development and technology is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with other ministers and is due to meet representatives of the Slovenian business community in Taicang, an important business city near the financial capital Shanghai, according to his ministry.

Announced at the November summit of prime ministers of China and 16 CEE countries in Bucharest, including Slovenia's Alenka Bratušek, the Ningbo conference is the first such event within the scope of enhanced cooperation between China and the CEE region. The participants are expected to be received by a deputy PM.

China has been looking for business opportunities in EU member states from Central and Eastern Europe as well as other countries of what is known as New Europe. Forging closer ties with the region, China would also like to strengthen its political influence on the Continent.

On the sidelines of the conference, companies from the region, including 16 from Slovenia, will be showcased in a joint presentation at the 13th international consumer goods fair, the biggest of its kind in China.

According to the SPIRIT agency for the promotion of enterprise, investment and tourism, the Slovenian companies featured at the event include bread and pasta manufacturer Žito, soft drinks maker Fructal and several winemakers. Also presented will be SPIRIT, the Slovenian Embassy in Beijing and General Consulate in Shanghai.

The volume of trade between China and Slovenia dropped from EUR 750m in 2012 to EUR 667m in 2013. Slovenia's exports represented EUR 127m of the latter figure.

Investment has been modest at a few million euros, but Chinese investors have been showing considerable interest to invest in Slovenia, primarily logistics. The most recent Chinese investment was in the Maribor bus manufacturer TAM Durabus.