China, CEEC to enhance '16+1' cooperation
The symposium of Think Tanks of China and Central and Eastern European Countries and the closing ceremony of the China-CEEC people-to-people Exchange Year has been held in Beijing. Senior officials, diplomats, trade experts, and scholars gathered to exchange ideas and proposals to boost China-CEEC cooperation.
16+1 cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries.
China has released strong signals that the country is open to the world and willing to strengthen ties with Europe. "16+1" cooperation is an essential part of Chinese-European relations.
"16+1 cooperation has been going on for more than four years. We uphold the principles of win-win cooperation, continue to enhance traditional friendship, and deepen practical cooperation. The 17 countries have not only consolidated the foundation of bilateral ties, but also boosted regional cooperation and strengthened relations between China and Central and Eastern European countries," said Liu Haixing, assistant foreign minister of China.
Experts say China and CEE countries should work together to implement four areas of cooperation, as suggested by Premier Li Keqiang during the 5th China-CEEC Summit in Riga. That is: to advance cooperation on infrastructure and connectivity, enhance financial cooperation, work together on green economy projects, and increase the number of people-to-people exchanges.
"There has to be more solid research on how to implement policies and on the benefits of these policies...and on the other hand, we also have to see how we can implement this research," said Huang Ping, secretary-general of 16+1 Think Tanks Network.