Author: Florea Maria-Alexandra*
Published on: 03 November 2025
Introduction
When Romania became one of the first countries to recognize the newly founded People’s Republic of China, most probably, there could have been doubts to predict that this early and prompt act of diplomacy would grow into a valuable and lasting bilateral partnership between an Eastern European country and Asia, as at the time, both new partners were undergoing major political and social transformations.
Since then, it’s been officially 76 years of partnership between the two states. Over the decades, this partnership has gone through many changes, shaped by historical events like the Cold War, the fall of communism in Romania and Romania’s integration into the European Union and NATO. Despite the current differences in political systems and strategic priorities, the two countries have managed to maintain an active dialogue and develop cooperation in many important fields.
The purpose of writing this paper is to try to explore some of the evolutions, achievements, challenges and opportunities in Romania-China diplomatic relationship. Understanding this 76 year partnership is important not only for appreciating the past, but also for imagining how Romania and China can continue to work together in the future.
Glimpses of historical background
One of the most fascinating aspects of diplomacy is how new states are formed and how much their legitimacy depends on international recognition.
Romania and the People’s Republic of China formally established diplomatic relations on the 5th of October 1949, only days after the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China on the 1st of October. Romania was actually the third country in the world to recognize the new Chinese state. Not long after that, the two countries exchanged ambassadors and began formal diplomatic ties, building a foundation for future cooperation.
During the Cold War, relations grew stronger, partly because both nations were aligned as communist states, and partly because, at some point, each of them, in different ways, started to distance themselves from the Soviet Union. That gave them more freedom to develop their own foreign policies and led to closer cooperation and political dialogue between them, outside the Soviet influence.
Latest important aspects in bilateral relations
After the fall of communism in Romania in 1989, the relationship between Romania and China entered into an obviously expected process of substantial political nuances. It was no longer based on shared ideology but became, one could say, more practical. China quickly recognized the new Romanian government and made it clear that political differences are not going to represent a reason to stop the two countries from working together. In 1994, Romania and China signed a Joint Declaration to strengthen the bilateral relations after communism. It focused on developing cooperation in areas like trade, culture, science, and education.
In 2004, Romania and China signed a Joint Statement on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Friendly and Cooperative Partnership, elevating the relationship to a closer possible strategic phase. The statement made clear that both countries saw their cooperation as something important for their people and for promoting peace and development, both in the region and globally. Romania also confirmed its support for one-China policy. It committed not to have official relations with Taiwan or support its participation in international organizations as a separate state. Both sides pledged to promote cooperation in economy and trade, encouraging companies from both countries to invest and collaborate in priority sectors, such as technology, infrastructure, agriculture, and the environment.
Additionally, the statement addressed global security concerns. Both countries condemned terrorism and pledged to work together against organized crime, illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and arms smuggling.
Romania joined China’s regional initiative with Central and Eastern European countries, known as the 16+1 format (now 14+1 after some countries withdrew). Through this platform, Romania takes part in business forums, investment talks, and cultural programs.
In recent years, the Romanian-Chinese relationship has included economic discussions, important bilateral visits, student exchanges, and cultural programs.
The important diplomatic contacts between Romania and China in 2024 were marked by the consultations in Beijing between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Deng Li and Romanian State Secretary Traian Laurențiu Hriștea, followed in the same year by the official meeting between Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu and her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, during the UN General Assembly in New York. In May 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Romania’s newly elected President, Nicușor Dan.
In our opinion, these recent diplomatic exchanges show that both sides continue to value their partnership and are open to future collaboration.
Cultural and educational cooperation is another important side of a meaningful partnership. Romania hosts Confucius Institutes in several universities, offering Chinese language and cultural programs. These centers help increase understanding and interest in Chinese culture among Romanian students and academics. Meanwhile, Romanian universities have developed exchange programs with Chinese institutions, promoting mutual learning in fields such as engineering, medicine, and economics.
The recent opening of the China Cultural Center in Bucharest in 2024 is another example of productive soft diplomacy. The same value has the expanding of tourism. It is to be recorded that China decided to permit to Romanian tourists to travel in the country without visa between 30th of November 2024 and 31st December 2025, for up to 30 days. Another relevant example is the event called ”Nihao! China” organized by the Chinese Cultural Center in Bucharest in January 2025, which promoted China’s winter tourist destinations and encouraged travel exchanges between the two countries. The event reflected the growing interest in strengthening tourism cooperation. Visitors also had the opportunity to enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine, creating an authentic atmosphere of cultural exchange.
Such evolutions of Romania-China relations emphasize the importance of dialogue, mutual understanding, and respect for each other’s development paths in building a stable and constructive partnership.
Economic cooperation
Economic cooperation is one of the most important areas in the Romania-China relationship. Over the years, the two countries have worked together in the fields of trade, investment, energy, and technology, and have shown interest in deepening their economic ties.
According to Statista, in 2022, Romania’s imports from China reached around 6,514.86 million Euros, with China being Romania’s second-largest non-EU trading partner, after Turkey.
In 2023, Romania imported goods from China increased, worth 6,758.94 million Euros, which made China one of Romania’s top non-EU trading partners, surpassing Turkey.
Furthermore, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade, Romania’s imports from China during 2024 were approximately 7.316,26 million Euros (8.51 billion dollars according to the source)
The data shows that overall trade between the two countries is getting stronger, with China becoming more important in Romania’s import market, especially in sectors like electronics, machinery, vehicles and everyday consumer goods.
At the same time, this growth also involves challenges. As per the database from the United Nations COMTRADE, Romania’s exports to China decreased from around 798 million Euros (926 million dollars) in 2023 to 669.81 million Euros (779.68 million dollars) during 2024. Romania’s trade deficit with China is growing, since imports are much higher than exports. It suggests that while China is a key supplier for Romania, there’s still work to do to balance the trade and increase Romanian exports to the Chinese market.
Romania’s trade deficit with China is not unique to the country but rather is part of a broader European imbalance. According to the same source mentioned above, The European Union as a whole experiences a similar situation, with imports from China far outweighing exports. In 2023, the EU’s overall trade deficit with China reached nearly 400 billion Euros. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis underscored that this gap reflects structural factors, including market access conditions and differences in competitive environments.
Conclusion
While Romania and China have had a long-standing diplomatic and economic relationship, there are several current factors to be taken into consideration for a correct evaluation of the bilateral relations. Romania’s membership in the European Union and NATO requires compliances to European standards and framework, particularly regarding public procurement, national security, and governance. These frameworks influence how foreign companies, including Chinese firms, engage in large-scale infrastructure and energy projects.
At the European level, Romania aligns with the EU’s ‘de-risking’ strategy, which aims to manage dependencies in sensitive sectors, such as technology, raw materials, and green energy. Romania’s geographic position on NATO’s eastern flank, near Ukraine and the Black Sea, further reinforces its role in regional security planning and the importance of maintaining alignment with transatlantic partners.
Despite these challenges, there remain significant opportunities to further develop Romania-China partnership. One of them is in agriculture and food exports. China has a huge population and growing demand for high-quality food products, and Romania has the potential to meet part of that demand. Romania could export more grains, meat, dairy, wine, honey, and processed foods, especially if both countries work together to simplify trade procedures and meet health and safety standards.
Looking ahead, one could say that Romania’s most effective path lies in maintaining a balanced approach, one that remains open to collaboration with China, while fully respecting its commitments to the European Union and NATO. Achieving this equilibrium is not always straightforward, but it reflects Romania’s strategic position as both a European and NATO member state and an active global participant.
Ultimately, the relationship between Romania and China stands as a remarkable example of how two countries with different histories, cultures, and now political systems can build a partnership based on mutual respect, shared interests, and collaboration. Over more than seven decades, this relationship has continually found new ways to grow, innovate, and strengthen ties. Its significance lies not only in tangible outcomes, such as trade agreements, educational exchanges, and cultural initiatives, but also in the broader message it sends, showing that diplomacy, vision, and cooperation can reduce differences and create opportunities that benefit both nations.
As Romania and China look to the future, their partnership brings out the potential of thoughtful and enduring international collaboration, a relationship that is truly worth to be further consolidated.
*Maria-Alexandra Florea is a master’s student in International Economic Diplomacy Programme within the Faculty of International Business and Economics of the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies.Starting with 2025, she is participating at the political analyses elaborated, constantly and impartially, by the Romanian Institute for Europe- Asia Studies– IRSEA, as well as, at its publishing activity, including as Author, based on voluntary partnership.
The opinions expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA
