Since the founding of the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) cooperation mechanism in 2012, China and CEECs have yielded fruitful achievements. This year marks the beginning of the second decade of China-CEEC cooperation, and the two sides hope for closer economic and trade ties. 

The third China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair, which is simply called the China-CEEC Expo, has three areas: Central and Eastern Europe Exhibition, International Consumer Goods Exhibition, and Imported Commodities Perennial Exhibition, with a total exhibition area of 220,000 square meters. The expo has attracted over 3,000 exhibitors, including over 400 from the CEECs and other European countries. 

As a platform mirroring the two sides' trade ties, the China-CEEC Expo is expected to attract more than 10,000 professional buyers and over 100,000 visitors. Purchase orders for CEEC products are expected to surpass 10 billion yuan during this expo.

As important partners in developing the Belt and Road Initiative, CEECs play an important role in China's foreign trade. According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, the total trade volume between China and CEECs reached 921.1 billion yuan in 2022, and bilateral trade has grown at an average annual rate of 8.1 percent since 2012.

"Based on the commodity structure analysis, we've learned that mechanical and electrical products have accounted for about 70 percent of the import and export goods between China and Central and Eastern European countries," said Vice Minister of Commerce Li Fei. 

"China has become a key trading partner and source of imports for CEECs since the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism was launched in 2012," said Yu Yuantang, another official from the Ministry of Commerce. 

As of the end of 2022, China-Europe freight trains had completed over 65,000 trips since their debut in 2011. Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and other countries have become vital destinations for China-Europe freight trains. 

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