Mountains and Seas United in Progress | Forging a New Future | The Open Expo • A Demonstration Zone of Shared Success

 

 

“By month-end, agricultural product orders totaling hundreds of containers will be fully allocated to key suppliers.” These new products will soon be shipped from Gdańsk Port in Poland to Ningbo Zhoushan Port,” said Wang Wenjia, General Manager of Zhejiang Defei Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., during yesterday’s press interview. “With our nationwide downstream dealer network, this shipment won’t require warehousing—dealers will take immediate possession upon port arrival.”

Starting with small trial shipments of Polish dairy products to now effortlessly handling bulk new product sales, this Yiwu entrepreneur has built a thriving CEE business in Ningbo. He frequently credits the city for providing the platform to develop sustainable long-term trade. This sentiment is shared by numerous Ningbo foreign trade professionals actively engaged in the CEE market.   

Over the past 11 years since inaugurating the first CEEC Specialty Products Exhibition, Ningbo has consistently worked to successfully host the China-CEEC Expo and establish the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone.   

During this period, batches of CEE specialty products gained acceptance and popularity among Chinese consumers, batches of Chinese and foreign enterprises ventured into new cooperative fields, and batches of elites from various sectors expanded their professional networks for development...   

Across a vast territory spanning over 10 million square kilometers from east to west, the “Ningbo Model” of China-CEEC cooperation is being written.   

 

 

Customs officers at Ningbo Airport oversee the first batch of inbound exhibits for the China-CEEC Expo.

 

 

An open exhibition platform

The year 2014 held special significance for Ningbo. That year marked Ningbo’s entry into the China-CEEC cooperation framework through hosting conferences and exhibitions.   

First, in June 2015, Ningbo hosted the inaugural CEEC Specialty Products Exhibition as a concurrent event within the China International Consumer Goods Expo. Subsequently, the Belgrade Guidelines issued after the Third China-CEEC Leaders Meeting explicitly stated that “the China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo will be held in Ningbo in 2015.”  

Within just five years, the China-CEEC Expo has successfully been elevated to a national-level exhibition, becoming China’s sole institutionalized national exhibition platform dedicated to CEECs.   

Regarding this “matter of national significance,” Ningbo has shouldered its responsibilities with distinction and never faltered in its commitment.   

The first three editions of the China-CEEC Expo featured over 80 high-level events across more than 10 sectors including trade and investment, customs collaboration, regional cooperation, and infrastructure connectivity, while establishing more than 50 cooperative platforms—all serving China’s overarching political and diplomatic objectives.

Over 3,000 CEE enterprises and 10,000+ CEE products were showcased at the exhibition, featuring technological debuts like Hungary’s Magic Wall and Czechia’s Shark Aircraft. The event facilitated over 20 billion yuan in trade orders, establishing a high-caliber open platform.

 

  

Various skincare products imported from CEE countries.

 

 

As the 4th China-CEEC Expo approaches, Xing Kunlun, procurement director of Ningbo Detianhou Supply Chain Service Co., is finalizing orders and inventory checks for this premier trade event.   

Beyond staple products like Polish detergents, Hungarian multi-purpose cleaners, and Czech fabric softeners, the company will sign new supplier contracts at the expo to introduce Polish canned salmon salad. A shipment of 100,000 canned products could arrive as early as July.   

Conservative estimates indicate that this year’s import volume from CEECs by enterprises could surpass 70 million yuan, with over a dozen major CEE suppliers already connected through the Expo.   

“Riding the wind, we ascend to new heights,” Xing Kunlun remarked with a smile.   

By integrating offline exhibitions with online cloud showcases, and combining temporary displays with permanent pavilions, the China-CEEC Expo achieves a ‘365-day never-ending’ presence.   

The CEE Specialty Goods Permanent Pavilion, celebrating its 10th anniversary, spans 32,000 square meters as a ‘Grand Bazaar of CEE Products,’ hosting 70+ specialized traders and 37 national pavilions showcasing nearly 5,000 unique commodities.   

For Lan Yue (Ningbo Poland Tu Trading), Chai Xuhe (Ningbo Ou Yali Import & Export), Chen Yi (Ningbo Dijia Weida Trading), and Xing Kunlun, the permanent pavilion has long been a second home.   

 

 

Guo Xiao and his imported merchandise.

 

 

A Model Zone of Shared Success

Guo Xiao, a foreign trade entrepreneur, carries multiple professional labels. A native of Qingtian County, he spent 24 years living in Serbia before settling in Ningbo, where he reinvented himself as a cultural storyteller.   

Visitors to the “CEE House” often encounter him narrating Sino-Serbian stories: “Initially, I aspired to be simply an importer. Importing proved easy - the real challenge was finding buyers. Then I realized: why not sell to those captivated by my stories!”

Yet mere storytelling felt limiting. He launched a “Serbia National Pavilion” video channel, later establishing a travel agency offering comprehensive CEE tourism services to facilitate business exchanges. By late May, his Serbian Technology & Tourism Business Center will officially commence operations.   

Guo’s relocation to Ningbo was prompted by 2017 news about the upcoming China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone.   

In 2017, during the Sixth China-CEEC Leaders Meeting, it was announced that “support will be provided for establishing China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zones in Chinese cities including Ningbo”. This commitment was subsequently incorporated into the Budapest Outline.   

The following year, during the Third China-CEEC Ministerial Conference on Economic and Trade Promotion, the Demonstration Zone was officially inaugurated with its construction commencement. In 2022, the “Master Plan for Advancing the High-quality Development of Ningbo China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone” was promulgated.   

Today, the Demonstration Zone has become a paragon of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and CEEC.

Economic and trade ties have grown significantly closer. Since the establishment of the demonstration zone, Ningbo’s trade volume with CEEC has achieved an average annual growth rate of 18.3%, reaching 56.13 billion yuan in 2024—triple the 2017 figure.

Cooperation has diversified across multiple sectors. Ningbo has forged sister-city relationships with 19 CEEC cities, with deepening collaboration in education, technology, cultural exchange, tourism, and other fields.

The demonstration effect has become more pronounced. The upgraded Central and Eastern European Specialty Commodities Perennial Pavilion and CEEC Industrial Cooperation Park have driven coordinated development in six provincial demonstration linkage zones, including Binjiang and Ouhai.

Maritime logistics cooperation has intensified. Ningbo Zhoushan Port now operates shipping routes with five CEE ports, with last year’s container throughput showing a 2.3-fold increase over 2014 levels, complemented by regular passenger flights to Budapest, Hungary.   

 

 

Officers from Yinzhou Customs, a subsidiary of Ningbo Customs, conducted visits to enterprises exporting to CEECs.

 

 

Envisioning Broader Prospects for Cooperation

For Ningbo, hosting the China-CEEC Expo and establishing the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone represents a significant mandate entrusted by the Party Central Committee and the State Council, as well as a crucial platform for advancing high-standard opening up.   

With this mission at heart, we must deepen our roots in Ningbo and explore further to fully realize our objectives and tasks.   

The fourth China-CEEC Expo features more distinctive CEE elements and greater international engagement. Over 400 CEEC exhibitors will participate, with a 15% expansion in temporary exhibition space compared to the previous edition. For the first time, dedicated exhibition zones for artificial intelligence and smart equipment will be introduced, alongside debut showcases of CEEC brands and the inaugural collective presentation of Digital and Smart Manufacturing products from the region.   

These days, Lan Yue is working diligently to prepare inventory for the “Hi-Go CEE” event: “This time I’ve stocked hundreds of bestselling chocolates and Greek dessert wines. I’m confident these new products will continue to gain popularity.”

 

 

Ningbo Customs officers are overseeing a shipment of vehicles bound for CEE markets.

 

 

With great responsibilities upon us, we must broaden our perspective beyond Ningbo to better understand the larger landscape and strategic positioning.   

As digital trade emerges as a new growth driver for cooperation, Serbia’s logistics leader Milsped Group proactively established its Ningbo branch. The sales director noted that the massive volume of cross-border e-commerce parcels exported from Ningbo to Serbia has spawned tremendous logistics opportunities.   

CEE’s advanced technologies require localized services to overcome adaptation challenges. On April 30, Ole Wonderland VR Park—a Hungarian-owned venture—launched in Ningbo. As the nation’s first outlet of its kind, it quickly gained popularity among local families.   

“While rooted in Ningbo, we aim to transcend geographical boundaries by mobilizing broader resources to establish a premier platform for showcasing CEE specialty products and expanding imports from the region,” stated an official from the Municipal Commerce Bureau.   

Ningbo is pioneering a replicable and sustainable model for pragmatic cooperation between China and CEECs, establishing a national-level long-term cooperation mechanism that extends from exhibitions to ecosystem development.   

As coffee aromas blend with Czech crystal artistry, AI digital assistants engage buyers in seamless conversations, and CEE product distribution centers nationwide bustle with customers, the new Silk Road’s mighty current converges. Ocean-oriented Ningbo has extended its invitation to the world.   

Anticipating May’s “Magpie Bridge Rendezvous” - transcending geographical divides to forge a path of shared prosperity.  

 

 

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          Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Yongpai News. The Yongpai News version shall prevail.