Interview: Slovak business leader keen to boost cooperation with China in electromobility, green energy

BRATISLAVA, May 13 (Xinhua) -- There is great potential for cooperation between Slovakia and China in the fields of electric car industry and green energy, Pavol Antalic, chairman of the Slovak-Chinese Joint Business Council has said.

Antalic told Xinhua in a recent interview that witnessing China's achievements in the development of electromobility and green power, "we intend to focus our future cooperation in these fields."

Noting that European Union (EU) member states are set to ban the sale of new CO2-emitting cars by 2035, Antalic said that the EU car industry is now increasingly shifting toward electromobility.

He said that as China possesses a leading position in the development and production of new energy vehicles, while Slovakia boasts the necessary brainpower, he resolves to promote bilateral cooperation in the field.

"We have a lot of great scientists working at our universities, there is great potential for cooperating in science and technology of the electric car industry," he said.

With regard to solar energy, wind power and other kinds of green energy, Antalic noted that they are also areas where the two countries can cooperate.

He cited solar panel recycling as an example, saying that he has visited factories in China that are recycling solar panels. These plants are "the next best investment opportunity" as solar panels reach the end of their lifespan after a period of 10 to 20 years, he said.

Since easing and lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions, Antalic has been working on organizing business trips to promote new cooperation between the two countries' cities and provinces.

Recalling his personal experience gained over the past decades, Antalic said that he was thrilled by the "millions of cars, the fantastic architecture in cities, but also the great improvement in the rural areas" in China.

"There is no other country in the world where I could see such a drastic change and increase in the quality of life," he said.