Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the cooperation between China and Central and East-European countries (CEECs), saying “17 plus 1 could make more than 18” at the China-CEEC Summit, held via video link last week. The Beijing List of Activities for the 2021 Cooperation between China and CEECs was agreed at the Summit. Xi said China-CEEC cooperation is based on mutual respect and has no political strings attached. “All countries involved, regardless of their size, are equal partners in a cooperation mechanism featuring extensive consultation, joint contributions and shared benefits,” he said. 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, Xi added. Cooperation between China and the 17 countries covers 20-plus sectors. According to the Beijing List of Activities, a China-CEEC National Coordinators’ Meetings will be held in 2021. 

The summit with the Central and East-European countries was the first major diplomatic event hosted by China this year, showing the importance China attaches to European diplomacy, according to Liu Zuokui, Director of the Department of Central and East-European Studies at the Institute of European Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The summit is not only a continuation of China’s year of diplomacy for Europe in 2020, but also a new beginning in its efforts to promote the China-European Union (EU) comprehensive strategic partnership in 2021, Liu said. In the last two years, China has put much effort into its diplomacy in Europe, and the country has worked to make Europe a more important partner, Liu added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged further supply of Chinese Covid-19 vaccines to Central and East-European countries. So far, Serbia has received one million doses from a Chinese company, and there is ongoing cooperation between Hungary and Chinese vaccine companies. At least six of the 17 CEECs, including Serbia, Hungary, North Macedonia and Montenegro, have either purchased Chinese Covid-19 vaccines for their mass inoculation campaigns or expressed an open attitude to buying them. Hungary will hosts the second China-CEEC Expert Forum on the Regulation of Medical Products and Medical Devices. If China-developed vaccines can be promoted in the CEE countries, it is conducive to enhancing China’s international influence, which is also a very important part of publicizing our anti-epidemic achievements, Prof. Liu said.

President Xi also called on China and CEECs to widen cooperation in the digital economy, e-commerce and the health sector. China supports setting up a China-CEEC dialogue mechanism on e-commerce cooperation and a China-CEEC alliance in the public health industry. China will promote the establishment of a China-CEEC customs information center and a focal point for customs clearance coordination for countries along the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line. China is willing to explore cooperation on a pilot basis under the “Smart Customs, Smart Borders and Smart Connectivity” Initiative. The Beijing List of Activities said that the participants support holding the 5^th China-CEEC Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue in China. China plans to import over USD170 billion of goods  and strive to double farm product imports from CEE countries over the next five years, and aim for a 50% rise in bilateral agricultural trade. China is also willing to expand merchandise imports from CEE countries. China proposes setting up a farm produce wholesale market in the CEE region and introducing an exchange program for young agricultural professionals.

According to the Beijing List of Activities, participants designated the year 2021 as the China-CEEC Cooperation’s Year of Green Development and Environmental Protection. They support holding the second China-CEEC Ministers’ Conference on Environmental Cooperation in China, as reported by the Global Times and the China Daily.

China’s trade with CEECs exceeded USD100 billion for the first time in 2020, with the average growth since 2012 reaching 8% each year. By the end of 2020, Chinese cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) in CEEC sectors, including energy, infrastructure and logistics, totaled USD3.14 billion, while those countries’ cumulative investments in China reached USD1.72 billion, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM). The number of China-Europe freight trains stood at 12,400 in 2020, with key destinations including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Last year, a record number of 12,400 freight train trips were made between China and Europe.