Joint efforts to boost China-CEEC ties

A group of 19 officials from Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs), including Northern Macedonia, Poland and Serbia, attended an online seminar on e-commerce sponsored by the Chinese government last year.

Aleksa, from Serbia, who once studied for his master's degree at the Capital Normal University in Beijing, spoke highly of China's support to his country during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Aleksa from Serbia 

Aleksa recalled the handover ceremony of China-donated vaccines, saying that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic showed up personally at the ceremony, which manifested his country's greatest sincerity to the Chinese people.

He said that his previous educational experience in China together with this training program have helped him better understand the trustworthy friendship between the two countries, adding that he believes both the CEEC and China will have a brighter future within the frameworks of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the cooperation scheme between the two sides. 

Kataryzna, head of the international cooperation division of the Poland-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said she was deeply impressed by the changes brought by the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism. 

Kataryzna (L) from Poland

As the largest trade partner of China among the CEECs, Poland has dovetailed its Amber Road strategy with the China-proposed BRI, Kataryzna noted, adding that her country has built business ties with both European and Chinese cities thanks to the China-Europe freight train service.

She hailed the service as the lifeline linking European countries and China, since the China-Europe freight trains did not suspend operation but continued to transport anti-pandemic supplies to the European region throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Frosina, a linguistics professor at the Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, comes from Northern Macedonia. She has been working in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, for 15 years.

Frosina from Northern Macedonia

During her time in China, Frosina has organized various academic lectures and cultural exchange activities to promote understanding between China and CEECs.

She shared what she learned during the seminar, saying that the trade route between today's Hubei and Europe dates back to the 6th century BC, which was four centuries earlier than the Silk Road.

After the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, Frosina sent a congratulatory letter to the seminar's organizer, saying that the congress is not only significant to China, but also will affect the development of the world at large.

"China is my second hometown, and the world needs China for its development," she noted.

Vanja from Serbia said she was excited about the launch of direct flights between Belgrade, the capital of her country Serbia, to China's coastal city Tianjin. She also looks forward to more cooperation in the fields of culture and education between the two countries.

Miljan from Serbia said the seminar helped deepen understanding and cooperation between China and other developing countries.

The online seminar on e-commerce