Dalian hosts governors’ meeting of China-CEEC association

The 5th group meeting of the provincial governors of the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) association was held in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning province, on June 11.The meetings were preparation for the 5th provincial governors’ meeting in order to discuss its plans, and determine the time, location, theme, topics of sub meetings and schedules.

The 5th provincial governors’ meeting is expected to address cooperation by promoting development, and will be held in Shenyang, Northeast China’s Liaoning province, in 2020.  It will be hosted by the Government of Liaoning Province, Secretariat of Cooperation between China and CEEC, and provincial governors of the China-CEEC association, and will be undertaken by the government of Shenyang city, Office of the Subcommittee of Foreign Affairs of Liaoning Provincial Committee. Government representatives from China and CEEC, as well as provincial leaders and enterprises, are scheduled to attend.

The China-CEEC cooperation was established by China and 16 CEEC countries involved with the Belt and Road Initiative. More recently, in April, Greece was accepted as a full member of the cooperation at the eighth China-CEEC leaders’ meeting in Croatia. Greece’s participation makes it 17+1 cooperation.

Liaoning, as a host province of provincial governors of the China-CEEC association, has been continually strengthening economic and trade cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries. In 2018, the import and export trade volume between Liaoning and Central and Eastern European countries reached 15.7 billion yuan ($2.27 billion), with a year-on-year increase of 32 percent. Furthermore, transportation channels such as the routes of Liaoning-Manzhouli-Europe, Liaoning-Mongolia-Europe and Liaoning-Strait-Europe have formed a sea-rail channel connecting three Central and Eastern European countries.

Tang Yijun, governor of Liaoning province, indicated that Liaoning has been maintaining a good cooperative relationship with Central and Eastern European countries, Liaoning is preparing for the -5th provincial governors’ meeting, and endeavors to make it a distinguished gathering of expanding industries, to enrich the content and to boost friendship.