JINAN -- China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) on Wednesday expressed their willingness to deepen cooperation at the local level to promote steady and long-term cooperation between China and CEEC.

Li Hongzhong, vice-chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, addressed the opening ceremony of the 6th Local Leaders' Meeting of China and CEEC held in Yantai, East China's Shandong province.

Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that since the establishment of the cooperation mechanism between China and CEEC 12 years ago, the two sides have jointly promoted the continuous development of the mechanism, achieved positive results, and set a model of trans-regional cooperation in the context of globalization.

China-CEEC cooperation has not only put relevant practical cooperation on the fast track, but also injected more positive energy into the development of China-Europe relations, Li noted.

He called on the two sides to synergize their development strategies, improve the mechanism of sub-national cooperation, and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning on governance experience, to make local level cooperation more fruitful and promote steady and long-term cooperation between China and CEEC.

More than 300 people from CEEC attended the meeting. They spoke highly of the positive role played by China-CEEC cooperation in promoting bilateral relations, local development and China-Europe cooperation, expressing the hope to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese localities, consolidate traditional friendship and seek common development.