Politics
17:56, 27-Nov-2017
Li calls for more Chinese investment in Central and Eastern Europe
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China will encourage its enterprises to make more investment in Central and Eastern European countries, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday in the Hungarian capital Budapest, calling for visa facilitation for Chinese companies in the region.
Li made the remarks in his opening speech at the seventh China-Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC) Economic and Trade Forum, part of the sixth meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (China-CEEC summit).
The Chinese premier announced the establishment of the China-CEEC Inter-Bank Association and the second phase of China-Central and Eastern Europe (China-CEE) Investment Cooperation Fund.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum in Budapest, Hungary November 27, 2017. /Reuters Photo
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends the China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum in Budapest, Hungary November 27, 2017. /Reuters Photo
The China Development Bank will provide an equivalent amount of two billion euros (2.4 billion US dollars) as development-oriented financial cooperation loans to the association, while the second phase of the fund that totaled one billion US dollars will be mainly invested in Central and Eastern Europe, according to Li.
He called for synergizing the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of CEEC, adding that the two sides should enhance cooperation in the field of new growth drivers.
Li to buy CEEC agricultural products
Li said China will increase imports of meat, dairy products, honey, fruits and other agricultural products, adding that he would like to enjoy high-quality agricultural products from Central and Eastern European countries as a consumer.
China will sign agreements on quarantine and inspection of agricultural products with six countries in the region this year and will hold an import expo of CEEC agricultural products in 2018, he revealed.
China will import more agricultural products from Central and Eastern Europe. /Reuters Photo
China will import more agricultural products from Central and Eastern Europe. /Reuters Photo
"It is estimated that China will import products worth of eight trillion US dollars from overseas in the next five years," the Chinese premier said. "I hope Central and Eastern European countries will take a larger share of it."
He noted that this year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the China-CEEC cooperation, adding that the 16+1 cooperation mechanism has been realized against the backdrop of globalization and calls for free trade and investment facilitation.
Li said cross-region cooperation is an important carrier of globalization.
During the past five years, Chinese investment in CEEC has increased from six billion US dollars to nine billion US dollars, while the number of Chinese tourists visiting the region has jumped from 200,000 to 900,000, according to the Chinese premier.
Li arrived in Budapest on Sunday and will pay an official visit to Hungary after the summit.
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