From Brussels to Balkans, Chinese Premier visits Europe for closer ties

CHINA-CEEC COOPERATION

This year's China-CEEC leaders' meeting will be held in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik.

Initiated in 2012, the mechanism has gained wide support from the 16 CEEC countries, and has knitted together an all-round and multi-tiered cooperation framework.

In recent years, China-CEEC cooperation has been adapting to the constantly changing environment in Europe, and moving forward productively within the framework of China-EU relations and in accordance with rules of the EU, said Cui.

According to China's Commerce Ministry, Chinese enterprises have so far invested over $10 billion in the 16 CEEC countries. Cooperation in areas like transportation, energy and production capacity has yielded fruitful results.

Statistics from China's General Administration of Customs show that the trade volume between China and the 16 CEEC countries reached $82.23 billion in 2018, marking a 21-percent growth year-on-year.

In addition, China and the CEEC countries focused on closer subnational cooperation last year, and achieved significant progress in such areas as economy and trade, science and technology, education as well as people-to-people exchanges.

The annual gathering is of great significance to promoting steady, long-term development of China-CEEC cooperation as well as China-EU relations, said Wang Chao, the Chinese vice foreign minister.

"Spring is unfolding early in Brussels," said Zhang. "The China-EU relations are also breathing in fresh spring air."