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Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday lauded the
cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries
(CEEC), calling on relevant countries to keep up the momentum and work
together for a new chapter in China-CEEC cooperation. "China-CEEC cooperation is part and parcel of China-EU
relations, whose good progress means new opportunities for China-CEEC
cooperation," said Xi while delivering a keynote speech at the
China-CEEC Summit via video link. 
Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the China-Central and Eastern
European Countries (CEEC) Summit and delivers a keynote speech via video
link in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) "17 PLUS 1 COULD MAKE MORE THAN 18" Xi lauded China-CEEC cooperation, saying that "17 plus 1 could make more than 18." In 2020, overall China-EU relations made new progress despite the
challenges caused by the pandemic. The two sides concluded schedule
negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment and signed a
geographical indications agreement. They also launched partnerships for
green and digital cooperation. "The two sides also stood firm for multilateralism and took on global challenges together," Xi said. "Today, trade between China and CEE countries is nearly
85 percent bigger than nine years ago," Xi noted, adding that the
China-Europe Railway Express has reached most of the CEE countries,
running more than 30,000 freight services so far.
A China-Europe freight train heading for Belgrade prepares to depart
from Wujiashan railway container center station in Wuhan, central
China's Hubei Province, May 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) The China-CEEC cooperation mechanism came into being in 2012 against the backdrop of the European debt crisis. "Impressive progress has been made in several cooperation
projects, including the Port of Piraeus in Greece, the Smederevo Steel
Plant in Serbia, and the Peljesac Bridge in Croatia," said Xi. China-CEEC cooperation is based on mutual respect and has no
political strings attached, Xi stressed. He added that all countries
involved, regardless of their size, are equal partners in a cooperation
mechanism featuring extensive consultation, joint contributions, and
shared benefits. Xi lauded the progress jointly made by China and CEE
countries in the Belt and Road cooperation. He said that in an
innovative and pioneering spirit, China and CEE countries took steps
early to explore the possibility of aligning cross-regional cooperation
with Belt and Road cooperation. It makes Central and Eastern Europe the
first region where all countries have signed agreements on Belt and Road
cooperation.
Aerial photo taken on Feb. 15, 2019 shows the COSCO Shipping Pisces approaching Piraeus port, Greece. (Xinhua/Wu Lu) ENHANCING COOPERATION AMID DIFFICULTIES "We need to tackle COVID-19 head-on and boost confidence
in cooperation to tide over the tough times," Xi said, adding China will
work with CEE countries through solidarity, coordination, and
cooperation to complete the pressing task of pandemic responses. COVID-19 vaccines serve as a powerful weapon to defeat
the ravaging coronavirus, and those developed and produced by China are
gaining popularity. Serbia has received one million doses of vaccines
from a Chinese company so far, and there is ongoing cooperation between
Hungary and Chinese vaccine companies. "China will actively consider such cooperation with other CEE countries if there is a need," said Xi.
Workers unload a container of China's Sinopharm inactivated
coronavirus vaccines at the Belgrade Airport, Serbia, Jan. 16, 2021.
(Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua) Noting China and CEE countries need to develop smooth avenues of
cooperation for interconnected development, Xi proposed pursuing
high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. It means speeding up significant
projects like the Budapest-Belgrade Railway and continuing the
development of the China-Europe Railway Express to unlock the full
potential of cooperation. To achieve concrete cooperation results and increasing cooperation
outcomes that benefit both sides, Xi mentioned in particular, the
coming five years. He said China intends to "import more than 170
billion U.S. dollars of goods from CEE countries" and will "work to
double CEE countries' agricultural exports to China and raise two-way
agricultural trade by 50 percent." Also, eying green development and forging drivers of
future-oriented cooperation, Xi urged advancing international
cooperation on climate change. He also urged the joint implementation of
the Paris Agreement and capitalizing on various emerging business forms
to widen the cooperation of the digital economy, e-commerce, and the
health sector. "The proposals put forward by Xi for advancing cooperation with
CEE countries have given adequate consideration to the core interests of
those countries. It has also demonstrated China's sense of global
responsibility and the readiness to work for win-win results," said Liu
Zuokui, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. CHINA'S OPENING-UP TO BROADEN HORIZONS FOR COOPERATION "China and CEE countries share the conviction that
openness brings opportunities and inclusiveness ensures diversity. This
is the key to the sustained vibrancy of China-CEEC cooperation," said
Xi. During the speech, Xi pledged that China would continue
to open its doors wider with a focus on institutional opening-up that
covers rules, regulations, management, and standards to broaden the
horizons for China-CEEC cooperation.
A Serbian worker (L) discusses with a Chinese engineer at the
Chinese-invested HBIS Group Serbia Iron & Steel in Smederevo,
Serbia, Oct. 10, 2019.(Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu) "We will continue our efforts to foster a business environment
based on market principles, governed by law, and up to international
standards," he said. This year marks the beginning of China's 14th Five-Year Plan for
economic and social development and the start of the country's new
journey toward building a modern socialist country. China has also been fostering a new development paradigm with
domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international
circulations reinforcing each other. "This will unlock the full potential of China's vast market and
domestic demand generated by the 1.4 billion population, including the
over 400 million Chinese in the middle-income group. It will thus boost
global demand and create more opportunities for the rest of the world,"
Xi said. The Chinese president vowed to take a more active role in
bilateral, multilateral, and regional cooperation that delivers higher
levels of mutual benefit for all. "We also welcome the participation of other countries and
international organizations in our cooperation to achieve win-win
results," said Xi.■
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