Three Sets of Data Reflect the Vitality of China-EU Economic and Trade Cooperation

 

 

At the Expo, humanoid robots produced by companies such as ROBOTERA and Unitree interacted with foreign visitors.

 

 

Exhibitors promote skin care products to the visitors at the China-CEEC Expo.

 

 

Foreign visitors visit the clothing exhibition area of the China-CEEC Expo.

 

 

During the Expo, the 2025 China-CEE International Regatta was held in Xiangshan County, Ningbo.

 

 

During the Expo, citizens tasted CEE cuisine at the Old Bund in Jiangbei District, Ningbo.

 

 

The "4th China-CEEC Expo" themed city sculpture on Century Avenue in Ningbo. Photo by Hu Xuejun (visual.people.cn)

 

 

On the shores of the East China Sea, the "May Appointment" came to a successful conclusion.

On May 25, the four-day 4th China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair (hereinafter referred to as the "China-CEEC Expo") came to an end in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.

At this grand event, Chinese and European merchants embraced old acquaintances, welcomed new friends, and looked forward to good prospects. Three sets of data reflect the strong vitality of China-EU economic and trade cooperation.

The first set of data, about old acquaintances

——The first three sessions of the expo attracted more than 3,000 CEEC enterprises and more than 10,000 kinds of CEEC commodities to participate in the exhibition, facilitating nearly USD 3 billion in CEE commodity transactions and more than USD 50 billion in two-way investment contracts

Through this grand event, the "Friends Story" of China-CEE cooperation was repeatedly staged.

From the popularity of Petofi's poems in China to Chopin's music floating in countless piano rooms; from Shanghai citizens making croissants with Polish flour to sweeping robots made in Ningbo providing cleaning services for Romanian families... This "May Appointment" between China and Central and Eastern European countries is a good story that is constantly being written.

In 2014, the first Central and Eastern European Specialty Commodities Exhibition was held in Ningbo; in 2015, the first China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo was held in Ningbo; in 2018, the first China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone was unveiled in Ningbo; in 2019, the China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo was upgraded to the China-CEEC Expo... As the venue for the China-CEEC Expo, Ningbo continues to deepen and expand economic and trade cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries. From 2019 to 2023, the China-CEEC Expo has been successfully held in Ningbo for three sessions. More than 3,000 CEEC enterprises and more than 10,000 kinds of CEEC commodities have participated in the exhibition, facilitating nearly USD 3 billion in CEE commodity transactions and more than USD 50 billion in two-way investment contracts.

On the big stage of the China-CEEC Expo, many good products are familiar to Chinese consumers.

Tokaji Nobel Wine, which is written into the Hungarian national anthem, Czech beer with annual output ranking among the top in Europe, and Uranac dry red wine from Montenegro are "good wines and need no bush"; high-quality agricultural food products such as Slovenian bee products and Serbian frozen raspberries are served on Chinese tables; Czech crystal and Polish goat milk have become "hidden champions" in the import segment of Central and Eastern Europe... Over the years, benefiting from the "spillover effect" of the Expo, more CEEC commodities have entered China's large market, with continuous expansion of categories and upgrading of structure.

The Central and Eastern European Specialty Commodities Perennial Pavilion, which has been open for ten years, has created a "365 Days Never Ending" stage for old friends. This 32,000 square meter "Central and Eastern European Commodity Grand View Garden" brings together more than 70 professional traders and 37 national pavilions. "This is China's largest distribution center for consumer goods in Central and Eastern Europe, with more than 5,000 stories behind more than 5,000 products." exhibitor Jarebska said so in front of t in Lodz, Poland.

On this fertile land of the China-CEEC Expo, many old friends have worked hard for many years and reaped a lot.

Among the visitors who participated in the 3rd China-CEEC Expo, many people still remember the "Shark" aircraft using Czech aviation technology. After two years, this technology has been delivered in Liaoning, Sichuan, Jiangsu and other places.

"Through the China-CEEC Expo, we see a good business environment and huge market consumption potential in China's Yangtze River Delta region." Yan Chaoyi, General Manager of Czech-Sino Shark Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd., said.

Chen Yi, an agent who participated in the first Central and Eastern European Specialty Commodities Exhibition as early as 2014, has been a "full-time attendee" at the China-CEEC exhibition for 4 consecutive sessions and 11 years. Today, her company's warehouse stores Bulgarian rose series cosmetics, Romanian lollipops and other products. The company not only sells Polish milk as a "hot item", but also expands its products to snacks, cosmetics and other fields, and goes westward along the Central and Eastern European countries to lay out the entire European market. "This year, we have a new product as an agent. There is no limit on the number of good products!" Chen Yi said.

The second set of data, about new friends

——The number of exhibitors and the number of exhibited goods have reached a new high, with 17,000 professional buyers and exhibitors from 8 European countries participating for the first time

Through this grand event, Chinese and European friends who are looking for cooperation opportunities "are destined to meet thousands of miles away".

More than half of the North Macedonian companies participating in this exhibition are "new faces". "They came with expectations, eager to find partners in this land full of opportunities." North Macedonia's ambassador to China Sashko Nasev said.

At this year's China-CEEC Expo, exhibitors came from 72 countries and regions. The number of exhibitors and the number of exhibited goods reached a new high, and the number of professional buyers reached 17,000. In addition to exhibitors from 14 Central and Eastern European countries, there are also 8 European countries such as the United Kingdom and France participating for the first time. For the first time, the Charming Central and Eastern Europe special area was set up to hold tourism promotions, fashion shows and other activities. The first China-CEE International Regatta was held, which led to a strategic cooperation between the Xiangshan Yafan Center and the Port of Rijeka in Croatia... From Central and Eastern Europe to Western Europe, the "circle of friends" of the China-CEEC Expo has become larger.

At the signing event for CEE commodity procurement, more than 60 companies from all over China and Central and Eastern European countries gathered together to witness the signing of 24 projects with a total amount of RMB 2.49 billion, covering minerals, wine, dairy products and other fields.

Serbian company Vet Planet signed a 3-year purchase order for pet health products with a total amount of more than RMB 200 million with Chinese companies. Alexander, CEO of Vet Planet, introduced that this is the first time that Serbian pet health products have entered the Chinese market. "We have conducted in-depth research on the Chinese pet product market, product import policies and regulations, and improved and upgraded the formula according to the needs of the Chinese market."

The people and goods can flow on the roads, to write a new chapter of cooperation. At the Old Bund in Ningbo, 11 foreign chefs from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Germany and other countries cooked special delicacies for citizens and tourists on site. China has established more and more Chinese cultural centers and "China Corners" in Central and Eastern European cities. Zhejiang's "Hundreds of groups travel to Central and Eastern Europe " event held a special promotion meeting for tourism products from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and other countries... The continuously upgraded visa-free and entry facilitation policies have allowed more and more Central and Eastern European tourists to experience the beauty of China, and many Chinese are also looking forward to traveling to Europe.

Nothing, not even mountains and oceans, can separate people with shared goals and vision. Infrastructure connectivity and unimpeded trade will build more bridges of friendship between China and Central and Eastern European countries.

Tons of giant ships travel across the ocean, and the container volume on the shipping route between Ningbo Zhoushan Port and the five ports in Central and Eastern Europe has increased 2.3 times in 10 years. The green channel for food imports from Central and Eastern Europe has shortened customs clearance time by 40%, and 164 English-language customs guidelines have become the "customs clearance code" for enterprises.

The camel caravan spans Europe and Asia, and Yiwu's "Yi-Xin-Europe" train shortens the transportation time to 16 days. Bulgarian rose essential oil and Polish amber take trains directly to the Chinese market. Czech mineral water continues to sell well in the online store of Tmall's "Central and Eastern European Import Boutique Hall".

The friendship between countries lies in the closeness of people. Talent exchanges and people-to-people bonds have given new vitality to the long-standing friendship between the people of China and Central and Eastern European countries.

Ningbo University has established cooperative relations with more than 20 universities in Central and Eastern Europe, with a total of more than 100 student exchanges. China-Slovakia Silk Road College customizes courses around cross-border e-commerce and other fields to train hundreds of interdisciplinary technical talents. China-Romania Silk Road Craftsman College provides industrial robotics, clothing design and other skills training for vocational colleges in Central and Eastern Europe... From talent training to scientific and technological innovation, exchanges and cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries will inject new impetus into each other's development and prosperity.

The third set of data, about good prospects

——Import purchase orders reached RMB 10.98 billion during the exhibition period; the export consumer goods exhibition area attracted more than 1,000 companies to participate in the exhibition, with exhibitors from 120 countries and regions; 24 projects were signed for the "Invest in Zhejiang" event

Through this grand event, people look forward to the prospects of China-EU economic and trade cooperation and sing "Tomorrow will be better".

In the boutique Central and Eastern Europe exhibition area, "Internet celebrity" blogger Chathai Laszlo invited the visitors to taste Hungarian raspberry chocolate; in the export consumer goods exhibition area, more than 1,000 companies displayed their advantageous industries and consumer products; on Romania's "eMAG" e-commerce platform, Ningbo Ryaca Electrical Co., Ltd.'s hair dryers continued to attract fans... The "two-way cooperation" of commodities from China and Central and Eastern European countries has played a melody of "sharing beauty and harmony".

Sitting on the large European market, with a complete industrial chain and highly skilled workers... Central and Eastern European countries are attracting more Chinese companies to "go global".

Taking the automotive industry as an example, BYD's factory in Hungary will be put into production at the end of this year, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles; Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp. has established multiple production bases in Romania, Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia, North Macedonia and other countries to produce parts for well-known European car companies such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

The China-CEEC Investment Cooperation Matchmaking Event also released the version 1.0 of Zhejiang Province's Overseas Comprehensive Service Platform to guide domestic enterprises to "go global" and invest in Central and Eastern Europe. "The cooperation between China and CEE in the supply chain is a win-win choice in the era of globalization 2.0. Poland and Central and Eastern European countries are becoming the golden springboard for Chinese companies to layout Europe with their cost and policy advantages." You Deliang, Chief Representative of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency's Office in China, said.

More and more funds, technology, and talents will be "introduced" from Central and Eastern European countries, taking root and sprouting in various parts of China.

At the "Invest in Zhejiang" series of promotion and exchange activities, 24 signed projects focused on new quality productive forces such as artificial intelligence, high-end equipment manufacturing, and biomedicine; the first artificial intelligence and intelligent equipment exhibition area invited Hungarian VR Park and Slovak VRM flight simulation technology to appear. "Previously, the Hungarian team worked together to launch the 'VR Park' Ningbo store at the Ningbo Science Exploration Center. Today, the team has built an immersive experience space of more than 400 square meters in Ningbo and plans to expand to other cities in China." Zhang Mingming, a staff member of the Ningbo CEEC Innovation Center, said.

The customs department also received good news-recently, Bulgarian saffron and Croatian tuna were allowed to be exported to China. So far, 126 agricultural and food products from relevant Central and Eastern European countries have obtained access to China, and a total of 3,430 overseas agricultural product companies have been registered. With the continuous optimization of the access assessment system and the significant improvement in customs clearance efficiency, more CEE delicacies such as Polish amber beer and Serbian dried plums will enter the Chinese market, enriching consumer choices.

"We look forward to working with China to strengthen the resilience of the international supply chain, taking agricultural food product trade as a starting point, and continuously tapping the growth potential of economic and trade cooperation." Said George Takhov, Bulgaria's Minister of Agriculture and Food.

In the future, as the "leader effect" of the demonstration zone is released and supporting policies are deeply empowered, the road to China-CEE cooperation will become wider and wider.

It is reported that Ningbo Customs will continue to improve the "policy supermarket" to escort enterprises' compliant exports and help importers solve policies and regulations, access approval, declaration and customs clearance and other matters. The expert database for risk assessment of agricultural and food products in Central and Eastern Europe built by Ningbo Customs has helped Albanian honey, Polish aquatic products and other products to enter the market quickly, and is expected to promote the continuous expansion of imports of high-quality agricultural and food products from Central and Eastern Europe. (Reporter Wang Wenzheng)

 

 

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            Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of People's Daily Overseas Edition. The People's Daily Overseas Edition version shall prevail.