Balkan-China Silk Road Economic Forum & Expo 2025

€5.6 BILLION IN CHINESE INVESTMENTS IN THE WESTERN BALKANS: PLOVDIV AS THE ARENA OF NEW PARTNERSHIPS — BALKAN–CHINA FORUM & EXPO 2025

The Balkans are preparing for a meeting that could define their development path for the next decade. On September 25–26, 2025, Plovdiv will host the Balkan–China Silk Road Economic Forum 2025, an event with the ambition to place the region at the center of the global economic dialogue.

The scale is impressive: over 200 delegates, 50 companies, and more than €5.6 billion already invested by China in the Western Balkans. The forum is held under the patronage of the Vice President of Bulgaria, Iliana Yotova, with the support of the Chinese Embassy in Sofia.

When East Meets West
The event marks 10 years since Bulgaria joined the “Belt and Road Initiative” and just as many since the founding of the Bulgarian–Chinese Chamber for Industrial Development (BCCID). Speakers include Prof. Ivo Hristov, who will address “the end of security” in an era of technological and geopolitical transformations, as well as international expert Stephen Brawer, who will provide insights into the New Silk Road and the business opportunities it opens. Organizers also promise a special reveal: an exclusive analysis on the “economy beyond the dollar,” available only to forum participants.

Not Just Words, but Deals
Alongside the forum, the Balkan–China Expo 2025 (September 24–27) will take place in Hall 7 of the International Fair – Plovdiv. There, companies will have the chance to meet potential partners and investors in integrated B2B formats aimed at concrete results.

“The forum puts business at the center of the conversation – with practical solutions and strategic alliances,” emphasizes Desislava Doncheva, Chair of BCCID.

The Balkans on the Global Map of Chinese Investments
For years, China has been pursuing a strategy of diversifying its capital across different regions:

• Central and Eastern Europe has already attracted significant resources in infrastructure and energy, often under conditions of political polarization.
• Africa has long been a priority for Beijing, with mining and infrastructure investments exceeding tens of billions of euros.
• The Balkans, however, remain a specific case — a small market, but with strategic geography: access to the EU, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean. This makes the region attractive to Chinese capital, especially for young entrepreneurs seeking global connections.

Opportunities for Young Entrepreneurs

1. Technology and Digitalization – access to Chinese companies in AI, logistics, and fintech.
2. Green Transformation – opportunities for startups in renewable energy to secure investments in sustainable solutions.
3. Expo Platform in Hall 7 – a space where young innovators can turn ideas into deals.

Key Highlights in the Program:

• Prof. Ivo Hristov — “The End of Security: Power, Technology, and the New Global Realities”
• Assoc. Prof. Grigor Sariyski (BAS) — “Beyond the Dollar – Navigating the Multipolar Global Economy”
• Stephen Brawer (The Belt and Road Institute in Sweden) — “The New Silk Road: Geopolitical Realities and Business Opportunities of Tomorrow”
• Plenary and thematic panels featuring experts from Bulgaria, the region, and China (including business culture and protocol, AI and digital transformation, renewable energy, e-commerce, smart logistics, cybersecurity).

Simultaneous interpretation in English and Chinese will be provided.

A Future Measured in Numbers
The region is in search of sustainable growth and new markets, and the forum’s topics are chosen to address these challenges: renewable energy, digitalization, e-commerce, smart logistics, and cybersecurity. Organizers promise an environment for high-level networking where visionaries, investors, and entrepreneurs will have the chance to shape the business map of the future.

As Prof. Hristov emphasizes: “In a dynamic environment where power, technology, and the economy reshape the rules, the forum sends signals from the future – signals that business must look at today.”

Tickets start at €99.60, and registration is open at bccid.com/event/economic_forum_2025.