From the camel bells of the ancient Silk Road to the whistles of today's China-Europe Railway Express, China-CEEC economic ties have flourished for millennia, now forging a new chapter of "Substantial Progress, Innovation, and Future Prospects".
According to Ningbo Customs statistics released, since the inaugural China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo in 2015, the China-CEEC Trade Prosperity Index has shown sustained growth: reaching a record 150.84 points in 2024, marking a 50.84-point increase from 2015 and a 5.18-point rise from 2023.
In the first four months of this year, China's trade volume with CEEC reached RMB 329.68 billion, reflecting a 5.6% year-on-year growth. The China-CEEC Import-Export Trade Development Index also achieved a record high of 386.91 points early this year.
"The China-CEEC Trade Prosperity Index serves as both a "barometer" and " weathervane" for assessing trade development between China and CEECs. Incorporating key indicators such as trade intensity, trade potential, and transportation infrastructure connectivity, it provides a comprehensive overview of bilateral trade development while offering valuable insights for Chinese enterprises engaging in trade cooperation with CEEC counterparts," stated an relevant responsible official from Ningbo Customs.
In terms of trade intensity, China-CEEC trade relations are evolving into a comprehensive, multi-tiered cooperation framework, characterized by expanding trade volumes, deepening investment partnerships, and enhanced connectivity.
Since 2015, China's trade intensity index with CEECs has demonstrated consistent annual growth, peaking at 127.85 points in 2024. Notably, the index with Serbia surged to 804.18 points, marking a remarkable increase of 169.54 points compared to 2023.
Leveraging the advantages of China's first China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, Ningbo has been deepening and expanding its economic ties with CEECs, strengthening bilateral trade connectivity.
Ningbo Kangbai Co., Ltd. primarily specializes in the distribution of metal materials, plastic products, and automotive components. "Following the implementation of the China-Serbia FTA, we proactively aligned with national initiatives by strategically expanding into the Serbian market. Our exports to Serbia totaled RMB 137 million in the first four months of this year," stated business specialist Jiang Pingping.
Trade potential analysis reveals a consistent annual growth in China-CEEC trade potential index since 2015, peaking at 220.51 points in 2024—a 16.88-point increase from 2023, demonstrating substantial untapped trade opportunities.
"Since the inception of the China-CEEC Cooperation Mechanism and the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone, these initiatives have grown from humble beginnings into significant achievements. The tangible results and accumulated experience speak for themselves, with bilateral trade sustaining robust growth and demonstrating remarkable resilience in development," remarked Chen Youxiang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Council of the China-CEEC Joint Chamber of Commerce.
He expressed strong confidence in the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism. In his perspective, economic and trade collaboration between China and CEECs is driven by practical necessities, inherent dynamics, and distinctive value, aligning with the global development trend. The partnership boasts strong complementarity, a solid foundation, and diverse cooperation platforms. Looking ahead, the bilateral economic and trade cooperation holds immense potential and promising prospects.
"Connecting the dots to form lines" and "weaving lines into networks"—as China's trade with CEECs expands, modern transportation infrastructure has created an "express lane" for commerce between China and CEECs.
Statistics indicate that since 2015, the transportation connectivity index between China and CEECs has shown consistent annual growth, peaking at 156.80 points in 2024—a 5.09-point increase over 2023.
Disclaimer：The above content is translated from Chinese version of Ningbo Daily. The Ningbo Daily version shall prevail.
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