Business leaders vow expanded bilateral co-op in high-tech sectors
The Fourth China Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair opened on May 22, 2025 in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province. Photo: VCG
The Fourth China Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair opened on Thursday, with business leaders and experts highlighting a promising shift from traditional trade to cutting-edge technology sectors in China-CEEC cooperation.
The event, as the only national-level institutional expo in China focused on China-CEEC cooperation, is being held in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang Province from Thursday to Sunday under the theme New Visions for the Future, per the expo's official website.
As the latest outcome of the expo, Bulgaria's saffron and Croatia's tuna were approved for export to China on the same day, as announced during the Seventh China-CEEC Dialogue on Customs, Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation held at the event on Thursday, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Customs data showed that 126 types of agricultural and food products from CEEC countries have gained market access in China, with 3,430 overseas agricultural enterprises registered, per the Xinhua report.
At the expo's opening ceremony on Thursday, State Councilor Shen Yiqin stated that China will continue to increase imports from CEEC countries, further expanding bilateral trade, Xinhua reported.
More than 15,000 professional attendees are expected, including more than 3,000 overseas buyers from 72 countries and regions, a Zhejiang provincial official told a press briefing on Wednesday.
The CEEC zone of the expo features 435 exhibitors from 14 CEEC countries, and nine additional European nations, including the UK, France, and Germany. Procurement intentions for imports from CEEC members are projected to exceed 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) during the expo.
Han Baohua, president of the Poland-China Chamber of Commerce, told the Global Times on Thursday that he is leading a 34-member Polish business delegation to participate in the expo. At the chamber meeting held on Wednesday, his organization signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Chinese companies, Han said.
At this expo, we selected some newly established Polish companies, products, and technologies to help them gain a deeper understanding of China and its market, Han noted. This aims to boost their confidence in engaging with the Chinese market, identifying effective cooperation models, and providing favorable conditions for future partnership.
Xiamen Wink Eurasia Import & Export CO, an affiliate of the Hungarian alcoholic beverage company Wink Group Kft, also participated in the expo. The company's marketing director Wang Ziying said that this year, their booth layouts are more refined and targeted, and products are practical to attract more Chinese buyers.
Hungary and China trade ties have deepened in recent years. Hungarian companies are eager to expand cooperation with Chinese e-commerce platforms, not only in alcoholic beverages but also in health foods and cosmetics, Wang told the Global Times on Thursday.
A key highlight this year is the debut of an emerging technology zone, where 37 CEEC companies will showcase innovative 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 will also exhibit their products, per the expo's official website.
Shi Liren, president of the China-Europe Belt and Road cultural exchange association and a Chinese-Polish entrepreneur, told the Global Times on Thursday that his company is introducing the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and new-energy technologies to Poland through cooperation with Chinese high-tech companies to develop smart warehouse management systems.
The Polish market has shown strong interest in China's emerging industries. We're organizing a delegation to visit China next week to negotiate with several major companies, Shi said, noting the trend of shifting from traditional goods trade to high-tech cooperation through technology exchanges and market sharing between Chinese and Polish companies.
The expo provides a convenient channel for economic and trade exchanges between CEEC countries and China, and this interaction showcases both sides' strong willingness to strengthen trade ties amid rising global protectionism, said Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies.
Deepened China-CEEC cooperation will also help advance overall China-Europe trade relations and boost both sides' confidence in countering protectionism, Jian told the Global Times on Thursday.
Bilateral trade ties have also grown steadily, with bilateral trade reaching 329.68 billion yuan in the first four months of 2025, a 5.6-percent year-on-year increase, setting a new record for the period, per customs data.
CEEC consumers remain highly dependent on Chinese goods due to their clear price-performance advantages, Miao Xiangyang, a Chinese-Polish merchant engaged in commodity trade, told the Global Times on Thursday. Even facing tariff pressures, many large Polish supermarket chains want to expand procurement of Chinese products through us.
There is clear trade complementarity between CEEC countries and China, Jian noted. China's advantages lie in the technology sectors, while CEEC countries are competitive in agricultural products, leaving significant potential for cooperation.
