The Fourth China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair ran from May 22 to 25 in Ningbo, a coastal city in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. The event brought together 435 enterprises from 14 CEECs and nine other nations, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with eight of them being first-time participants. It showcased over 8,000 exhibits, including wine, cheese, skincare products and smart home appliances.
Deals worth over 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) were reached between Chinese importers and foreign participants at the event. Streamlined customs procedures introduced specifically for the expo improved efficiency greatly, giving Chinese consumers access to products including Polish beer, Latvian canned fish and Serbian prunes.
Bulgaria's prized saffron and Croatia's premium tuna were granted Chinese market access on May 22, the day the expo opened. According to data released by the General Administration of Customs of China that day, 126 types of agricultural and food products from CEECs have been granted access to the Chinese market.
The expo, with its first three editions taking place in Ningbo in 2019, 2021 and 2023, serves as a platform for CEECs to unlock opportunities in the vibrant Chinese market.
Trade ties
A highlight at this year's event was the debut of an emerging technology zone, where 37 Central and Eastern European companies showcased technologies and products including Serbia's maritime safety sensors, Slovakia's medical equipment and Hungary's virtual reality technology. Chinese humanoid robot companies like Unitree Robotics also exhibited their products.
Han Baohua, President of the Poland-China Chamber of Commerce, told newspaper Global Times that the Polish business delegation had signed an agreement for partnership with Chinese companies during the expo. Participating in the event helped the delegation gain a better understanding of the Chinese market and boosted their confidence in engaging with it, Han said.
Jakub Kutyla, a representative of the Polish cosmetics brand AVA Cosmetic Laboratory, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency at the expo that his company is actively seeking new markets and China stands out for both its openness and stability.
Yan Dong, an official with China's Ministry of Commerce, said at a press conference on the expo that China and CEECs have experienced the stable development of their trade and economic relations since the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism came into being in 2012. China's trade with CEECs has grown at an average annual rate of 8.8 percent since 2012. In 2024, the two-way trade reached a record high of $142.3 billion, up 6.3 percent year on year.
Bulgaria produces 70 percent of the world's total supply of rose oil. For decades, the largest buyers have been famous French perfume companies, but China has become one of the largest importers of the oil in recent years, as distributors continue to introduce rose oil products to domestic consumers.
Transport links have also been improving between China and CEECs. The southward route of the China-Europe freight train network is accelerating trade ties, with CEECs becoming key destinations.
The construction of the Hungary-Serbia Railway, a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, is proceeding smoothly. The Belt and Road Initiative aims to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. The number of direct air routes between China and CEECs has exceeded 30, Yan said.
Launched in 2023, an air corridor linking Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, with Budapest, Hungary, has expanded from four to seven flights per week over the past two years—with weekly transport capacity reaching 500 tons. As of April, over 39,000 tons of imports and exports had been transported via the corridor.
Investment cooperation between China and CEECs is becoming increasingly close. China's investment in CEECs has so far exceeded $24 billion, Yan said, noting that Chinese electric vehicle and battery enterprises have stepped up investment in the Central and Eastern European region in recent years.
China's leading battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) invested 7.3 billion euros ($8.2 billion) in building a battery factory in Debrecen, Hungary, in 2022.
The plant, which will begin operation later this year, has hired 400 employees. Its workforce is expected to exceed 2,000 by the end of 2025 and to reach 2,600 at full capacity in 2026.
Sanhua Automotive, a Chinese vehicle part maker, has invested in automotive and home appliance component manufacturing in Poland, generating 150 million euros ($169 million) in sales in 2024 and creating over 700 local jobs.
China has developed bilateral economic and trade joint committee mechanisms with all CEECs, and trade facilitation and investment cooperation working groups with most of them, Yan noted.
According to Yan, the strong economic and trade complementarity between China and CEECs suggests potential for cooperation. China has a complete industrial system and innovative technologies, while CEECs have advantages in traditional industries and strong demand for green and digital transformation. CEECs also have trade advantages in high-end industrial products and agricultural and food products.
Trade in services between the two sides is also robust. As China's middle-income population exceeds 400 million, its outbound tourism has been experiencing a boom and CEECs' rich cultural and natural heritage have a strong appeal for Chinese tourists, Yan said.
Booming exchanges
Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin said on May 22 at the expo that China will continue to increase its imports from CEECs and expand bilateral trade.
Shen said China is willing to work with the countries to maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains and safeguard the international environment to enable open cooperation.
Yang Lihua, a professor at the Institute for Central and Eastern European Economic and Trade Cooperation at Ningbo University, told newspaper People's Daily that the growing presence of innovations from CEECs in China helps advance technology application and industrial upgrading.
With the rapid growth of emerging industries worldwide, China and CEECs should improve cooperation in the green economy and digital industries. Traditional industries like steel and chemicals in these countries can draw on China's strengths in solar and energy storage technologies to achieve low-carbon transition, Yang said.
CEECs can also leverage their industrial manufacturing advantages to partner with China on developing industrial Internet-based platforms. Overcoming institutional barriers on technical standards and cross-border data flows is essential for developing a new model for China-CEEC cooperation in the digital economy, she said. BR
Copyedited by G.P. Wilson
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