CEE leaders invited to high-speed train ride after Hungary, Serbia deals

SUZHOU, Jiangsu - Leaders from Central and Eastern European (CEE) nations will be invited to a ride on a China-made bullet train, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday during an annual China-CEE summit meeting in Suzhou city, east China.

The train ride on Wednesday will be a showcase of China-CEE cooperation, which features not only a high speed, but also comfort and reassurance, Li told reporters.

China has actively sought to export its high-speed rail technology in recent years, with media referring to the premier as the country's top railway salesman.

Tuesday's invitation came minutes after China signed two separate deals with Hungary and Serbia on the construction and revamping of a rail link between the Serbian and Hungarian capitals.

Details of the two deals are not immediately available, but Li had pledged earlier in the day that construction work of the railway would be underway by the end of this year and be finished within two years.

Earlier reports said the high-speed rail link could cut travel time between Budapest and Belgrade by more than half.

Once complete, the railway will help create a fast lane for importing and exporting products between China and Europe.

"The railway not only connects Serbia with Hungary, it also links up to the rail network in southern Europe," Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic told reporters later on Tuesday.