Chinese investors believe Slovenia to be very attractive due to its strategic location and well-educated work force.

Maribor had made a name for itself in China following a Chinese investment in a bus-making company, said Wang Yasheng of the Chinese Investment Bank.

Many investors are considering Maribor for their projects and the Chinese Investment Bank is willing to support such plans, Yasheng added.

He also expressed interest in investing in the second rail track between the port of Koper and the inland hub of Divača, a EUR 1.4bn project planned by Slovenia, and in telecommunications.

The Invest in Maribor conference, attended by a 70-member Chinese delegation, is only one in a series of Slovenian-Chinese business events organised by the city of Maribor. Maribor Mayor Andrej Fištravec has hosted several Chinese delegations before and has also travelled to China several times.

Fištravec told the press that a number of cooperation deals had already been closed. Among other things a wine store by Maribor-based company Vinag opened in the city of Nanchang. Maribor has also signed a cooperation agreement with the city of Nanchang.

Moreover, a municipality-owned company is to start selling food stuffs in Nanchang, while a Chinese company is likely to build a commercial centre in Maribor which would allow non-residents of the EU to register a company at that address, according to the mayor.