Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi disclosed on Saturday that collaboration between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs) is venturing into a new upgrade stage.
In a message, he delivered during a joint press conference with Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Miro Cerar, Wang said that China-CEEC cooperation, also known as "17+1" unity, is a multi-border partnership hinged on China's and CEEC's shared ambitions, and has yielded early harvests and significant results in nearly 20 economic areas.
China's hosting of the 17 + 1 Cooperation Summit in the first half of 2020, Wang said, testifies to the great importance that Beijing attaches to the mechanism and responds to the 17 European nations' common wishes to further lift their level of cooperation.
Shared Interests
Through the summit, China is hoping to improve its win-win goal, open up new opportunities for mutual benefit, and push for new growth in ties between China and Europe, Wang said.
Wang noted that China-CEEC cooperation is part of the Chinese and Europeans' strong relations and a valuable complement to China's European Union involvement.
Cooperation between China and the CEEC, Wang explained, stems from the shared interests and mutual needs of China and the CEECs and is not planned in any way to start from the beginning, let alone split Europe.
Open World Economy
Within the China-CEEC system, the EU and other participants are invited to attend each meeting, and the consensus reached under the 17 + 1 process is open to and beneficial to all sides.
Wang also expressed the hope that China-CEEC cooperation will be better synergized with the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the EU plan to link Europe and Asia, the Three Seas Initiative and the CEECs' respective growth strategies through the forthcoming Beijing Summit.
China hopes that the 17+ 1 process would contribute to the protection of multilateralism, the promotion of free trade, the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the EU and the joint development of an open world economy.
Good News For All
Speaking on China's other trade issues in the same joint media forum, Wang said the "Step One" trade agreement between his country and the US is "good news for all" and will "provide stability in global trade."
According to Chinese officials on Friday, Wang's comments came after China and the US agreed on the draft of a phase one economic accord.
China agreed to increase imports of US agricultural products in the the nine-chapter agreement and the US will phase out its Chinese goods tariffs.
