The meeting, which was chaired by Marian Piecha, Deputy Minister of the EU Funds Section, on behalf of the Czech side, and by Vice Minister Ling Ji on behalf of the Chinese side, took place after a five-year break, so the two representatives first reviewed the economic development during this time, and then continued with possible areas of future cooperation. The Czech side is particularly interested in promoting our companies on the Chinese market, protecting them and finding new market segments in which cooperation could be established. The Chinese representative mentioned the growing interest of local companies in expanding abroad and said that trade is an important part of mutual relations and should be deepened. Cooperation in transport, tourism and other sectors can also help this cause.