• Visitors tour the 2014 Central and Eastern European Countries' Products Fair (CEEC Fair) in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, last year.

Visitors tour the 2014 Central and Eastern European Countries' Products Fair (CEEC Fair) in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, last year. (Photo : www.chinadaily.com.cn)

The China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo to be held in the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, from June 8-12 is expected to reinforce China’s economic ties with countries from the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the China Daily reported.

The report said that the five-day event will be held under the Belgrade Guidelines for Cooperation between China and the CEE countries, signed by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and CEE leaders in Belgrade, Serbia, in Dec. 2014.

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Aside from strengthening the trade and investment cooperation between China and the CEE countries, the Expo, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Zhejiang provincial government, would also provide Zhejiang companies with a platform for their plans to go global.

Lu Ziyue, mayor of Ningbo City, said that the expo is a crucial step in the city's efforts to implement and promote the country's major economic programs, the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the "Yangtze River Economic Belt Strategy."

The report said that the total volume of Ningbo's imports and exports with Central and East European countries in 2014 reached $2.27 billion, up 5.4 percent than the previous year.

Ningbo has approved 72 foreign investment projects from 16 CEE countries in 2014, with a total value of $156.21 million. A total of 34 Ningbo enterprises were also allowed to invest in 16 CEE countries with total investments reaching $20.37 million, the report added.

Government leaders and representatives of business enterprises from 16 CEE countries are expected to attend the event, which carries the theme "expanding opening-up and cooperation and jointly building the Silk Road."

Aside from the exposition, organizers will also hold trade exhibitions, investment symposia, business fora and cultural activities.

The organizers will also host a CEE specialty products fair at the Ningbo International Convention Center. Last year, a total of 180 enterprises from 16 CEE countries attended a similar fair, exhibiting more than 6,000 kinds of products such as handicrafts, honey, wine and cosmetics.

The CEEC Expo will feature products of Ningbo's strong sectors such as home appliances, clothing, shipbuilding and manufacturing, while CEE countries will display products in agricultural and farming industry, especially animal and food products.

Apart from the Expo, the city will also host the 17th China Zhejiang Investment and Trade Symposium and the 14th China International Consumer Goods Fair during the same period.