China-CEEC Expo: The 2nd China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair closed successfully

(Ningbo, China): Insisting on the theme of "Fostering a New Development Paradigm, Sharing a Win-Win Opportunity," the Second China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair, co-organized by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, and jointly undertaken by the People's Government of Ningbo, Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce and the Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce, concluded in Ningbo of East China's Zhejiang Province on June 11.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the expo, and Vice Premier Hu Chunhua delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. Serbia and Czech Republic are the expo’s countries of honor. Affected by the pandemic, international VIPs attended the forum in two forms: online speeches by dignitaries + offline visits by envoys. Two presidents and six deputy premiers/ministers from the countries of honor gave online speeches, expressing wishes of expanding friendly exchanges with China and firmly supporting China-CEEC cooperation. Representatives from 52 countries (incl. 13 from Central and Eastern European Countries) attended the expo, among them 32 are ambassadors (4 from Central and Eastern European Countries).

The total floor area of the exhibition is 200,000 square meters, nearly 90,000 square meters larger than that of the first edition. And special exhibition areas for domestic and foreign trade integration, overseas shopping for foreign goods, and Zhejiang digital trade were first built in the expo. The 3,000-strong booths attracted 2,041 exhibitors and 7,468 professional buyers during the expo. China’s central enterprises and famous enterprises including China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and BGI, as well as CEEC’s global brands like Gorenje and Tescoma, participated in the exhibition. In addition to CEEC’s special agricultural and sideline products, the exhibits were also from machinery and electronics, life and health and other five categories. Czech top kitchenware and PETROF piano and other upscale brands made a debut at the expo. Slovenian Pipistrel Aircraft, Polish yachts, Romanian high-end RVs, China-Czech cooperation product Wanfeng helicopters, MGI Fire Eye Laboratory, Huawei's latest AI products and other high-end, sophisticated and cutting-edge products were also unveiled to visitors.

During the expo, a total of 10.78 billion yuan of intentional purchase were made (incl. 7.46 billion yuan with CEEC), and 97 two-way investment projects worthy of $18.21 billion were signed. China-CEEC Public Health Industry Alliance, Zhejiang-CEEC Educational Think Tank Alliance and other organizations were established. China (Ningbo)-CEEC Humanities Exchange Demonstration Base, Serbia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ningbo Representative Office, China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone CEEC Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Base were officially inaugurated. The CEEC Education Exchange Website and the "Yixinou Digital Service Platform" were launched. CEEC Cuisine and "Poetic and picturesque Zhejiang•Thousands of Delicacies of A Hundred Counties " showcased a great brand effect, attracting more than 60,000 visitors within three days.

A total of 17 institutional platforms including China-CEEC Working Group on Animal and Plant Sanitary and Quarantine Measures, China-CEEC E-Commerce Cooperation Dialogue Mechanism, China-CEEC Trade Index, and "Qiaolian International" digital trade platform(ceecexpo.com/) have settled down in Ningbo, which will boost the city to become a host for the most concentrated institutional activities of China-CEEC cooperation.