A statue of General Milan Rastirslav Stefanik from the Slovak Republic was delivered to Harbin, in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province on Oct 31, according to local officials.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic relations between China and Slovakia.

The statue is the copy of the one that former Chinese President Hu Jintao presented as a national gift to the President of Slovakia when he visited the country in 2009.

“He is a symbol of the friendship between China and the Slovak Republic, and a witness and promoter of Sino-Slovak friendship, " said Dusan Bella, Slovakia’s ambassador to China.

General Stefanik was one of the founding fathers of Czechoslovakia and visited Harbin in 1918.

He could count in Mandarin and learned about the Chinese zodiac. Historians say he knew Chinese history and astronomy very well.

The items he bought in Harbin during his trip to China are now on display at the National Museum of the Slovak Republic.

Currently, Harbin is embracing new opportunities to develop its cooperation with the Slovak Republic, as the country is one important member of the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and the “17+1” cooperation mechanism between China and the Central and Eastern European countries.

Officials said the two sides planned to further deepen their cooperation in commerce and trade, culture and sports.

A block train connecting Harbin and Slovakia is expected to be established in the future, officials said. It will bring red wine and dairy products from Slovakia to China and export Heilongjiang-grown agricultural products and manufactured machinery to European countries.
  The unveiling ceremony of the statue of General Milan Rastirslav Stefanik from the Slovak Republic is held in Harbin Planning Exhibition Hall in Harbin, in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, on Oct 31. [Photo/chinanews.com]