On Tuesday, China virtually hosted the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Summit. In his keynote address, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that cooperation between the two “is part and parcel of China-EU [European Union] relations,” and called on member countries to “keep up the momentum and work together for a new chapter in China-CEEC cooperation.” He also urged members to “pursue shared development through cooperation” in a post-pandemic world. Moreover, 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.”
Xi stated that in order to balance cooperation, equal importance has been placed on economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and trade and investment. In this regard, he noted that in the nine years of China-CEEC cooperation, trade between the two has gone up by 85%, while China’s import from CEE countries is 22% higher than its exports to the region. He also lauded how mutual tourist visits have gone up by five times between the two.
In addition, Xi praised the progress made on China’s developmental projects across the region. This was a reference to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which includes the Port of Piraeus in Greece, the Smederevo Steel Plant in Serbia, and the Peljesac Bridge in Croatia. The CEE is the first region in which all countries have signed BRI agreements with China. “In light of the needs and unique geographical locations of CEE countries, we have worked hard for good progress in the Budapest-Belgrade Railway and other major cooperation projects,” Xi said.
Furthermore, Xi praised the China-Europe Railway Express that connects most CEE countries and has so far run more than 30,000 freight services. This includes the shipping of COVID-19 medical supplies like 20 million surgical masks and gloves, water-soluble bags, and contactless gel dispensers from China to Europe last June. Anti-coronavirus supplies from two additional freight trains from China were also delivered to Duisburg, Germany, and Madrid, Spain last year. In fact, from January to May 2020, a total of 12,524 tonnes of anti-epidemic materials were sent from China to European countries by train. More recently, China also delivered one million vaccine doses to Serbia and is currently in talks with Hungary for the same. “China stands ready for vaccine cooperation with CEE countries,” Xi added.
This year, the summit took place after over a year-long delay caused by the pandemic. Moreover, it was led by President Xi himself, instead of Prime Minister Li Keqiang, the usual top official at these summits. Experts analyze that this leadership change aims to “capitalize on the momentum” of the EU-China investment deal that was signed last December in order to “highlight its growing ties with the continent”. Conversely, due to split loyalties to Beijing and Washington, six out of the 17 CEEC countries —Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia—were represented by ministers instead of their head of state.
The China-CEEC cooperation mechanism was conceived in 2012 against the backdrop of the European debt crisis. Also referred to as the 17+1 group, it includes some current members of the EU such as Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, and other prospective members like Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.
President Xi Jinping Discusses BRI at the China-CEEC Summit
At the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Summit on Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the BRI, trade, and post-pandemic cooperation.
February 10, 2021
SOURCE: YOUTUBE