site.btaBulgarian Socialist Party Chair Meets Chinese National People’s Congress Standing Committee Vice Chair

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Chair and Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov and other BSP – United Left representatives met with a delegation led by Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Vice Chair Xiao Jie in Sofia, BSP's press centre reported on Sunday.

Zafirov stressed that BSP and the Communist Party of China (CPC), and respectively the People's Republic of China, already have an established dialogue. “It is based on mutual trust, traditions, understanding, and a strong partnership which, in the current period, has taken on particular importance given China’s growing role in today’s world,” he said, as quoted in the press release.

The Bulgarian socialist leader noted that the only political force in Bulgaria that participates actively in the dialogue initiated by the CPC related to the ‘New Silk Road’ initiative is the BSP.

He was firm that the contemporary left is facing many challenges, some of which relate to the search for its authentic identity. “I am deeply convinced that the left is authentic when it fights poverty, when it looks for ways to overcome inequalities, when it fights for peace in a world shaken by all kinds of geopolitical earthquakes,” he commented, emphasising that this is precisely why the joint efforts of left-wing parties to improve people’s lives are so important, the press release said.

Xiao Jie highlighted BSP's role in strengthening and improving relations between Bulgaria and the People's Republic of China. As an example, he pointed to the visits of delegations led by Zafirov to China in September 2024 and May 2025. “Our two parties share similar ideas and goals – the development of our countries and the improvement of people’s lives,” he added. Xiao Jie expressed readiness for joint work to maintain this momentum and share experience, both at party level and at state level.