On November 6, 2026, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Iliana Iotova on her election as President of the Republic of Bulgaria.

President Xi Jinping pointed out that Bulgaria is the second country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and win-win results constitute the defining feature of bilateral relations. In recent years, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries at all levels and across all fields have moved forward steadily, and the strategic partnership has grown richer in connotation. Xi Jinping said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Bulgaria relations, and stands ready to work with President Iliana Iotova to guide the two countries to forge ahead hand in hand on their respective paths of development and revitalization, foster a more positive, pragmatic and dynamic bilateral relationship, and deliver greater benefits to the two peoples.