[北京周报]Building the Silk Road With Central & Eastern Europe
2015-11-04 信息来源：北京周报
The Chinese Government brought in more than 50 young delegates from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries for a multilateral forum to further promote ties with the CEE region and China's Belt and Road Initiative (the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road).
The forum, held on October 30, aimed at increasing relations between young politicians in China and the CEE countries. All of the CEE delegates were between 21 and 40 years of age. It's the second time Beijing has hosted the event with the first forum held in 2013, one year after the first China-CEE summit was held in Warsaw, Poland.
The trip was a first for Sofiya Tsvetokova, the head of international relations for Bulgaria's GERB party, who said, "What impressed me most is the amazing development."
The CEE delegation visited Langfang, a city about 50 km east of Beijing, two days before the forum. They visited factories and families living in the city, along with various hi-tech companies in Beijing.
During a meeting with the press, Tsvetokova hailed China's 16+1 initiative, which promotes regional cooperation between China and 16 CEE countries, including EU member Bulgaria.
"Bulgaria has been able to benefit from both the EU-China strategic partnership framework and the 16+1 format between CEE countries and China," she said. "The 16+1 format is a great opportunity for cooperation, which will complement the China-EU partnership framework."
All Bulgarians, regardless of political affiliation, support closer ties with China, Tsvetokova said.
The 16+1 cooperation has produced a trade growth model between China and the CEE, Qi Xuchun, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said in his speech at the forum.
"The trade growth rate between China and CEE countries has exceeded that of China-EU trade, reaching 9.2 percent year-on-year in 2014," Qi said.
The initiative has already produced a railway linking Hungary and Serbia, which was completed last December, Qi said. The Belgrade railway is also part of the Belt and Road Initiative, which other CEE countries see as the next strategic opportunity with China, such as Romania, according to Augustin Mitu, Deputy Speak of Romania's Senate.
"Romania is an important country linking China to Europe, and the two countries have huge potential of carrying out cooperation on infrastructure, energy, transport and trade," he said.
China and Romania are prepared to ink as many as 23 cooperation deals during the fourth meeting between Chinese and CEE leaders, Mitu said. The meeting will be held in China later this month.
"These deals are part of the outcome of the Belt and Road Initiative," Mitu said, "As early as 2013 when the initiative was put forward, the two sides have been making efforts to extend bilateral cooperation to more sectors."
The Belt and Road Initiative is open to all countries and is a way to push for common development, said Qi, who is also vice chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, which is one of the eight political parties in China.
To further enhance ties and political trust, Qi proposed China and the CEE countries send 1,000 young people for exchanges in the next five years.
The forum, held on October 30, aimed at increasing relations between young politicians in China and the CEE countries. All of the CEE delegates were between 21 and 40 years of age. It's the second time Beijing has hosted the event with the first forum held in 2013, one year after the first China-CEE summit was held in Warsaw, Poland.
The trip was a first for Sofiya Tsvetokova, the head of international relations for Bulgaria's GERB party, who said, "What impressed me most is the amazing development."
The CEE delegation visited Langfang, a city about 50 km east of Beijing, two days before the forum. They visited factories and families living in the city, along with various hi-tech companies in Beijing.
During a meeting with the press, Tsvetokova hailed China's 16+1 initiative, which promotes regional cooperation between China and 16 CEE countries, including EU member Bulgaria.
"Bulgaria has been able to benefit from both the EU-China strategic partnership framework and the 16+1 format between CEE countries and China," she said. "The 16+1 format is a great opportunity for cooperation, which will complement the China-EU partnership framework."
All Bulgarians, regardless of political affiliation, support closer ties with China, Tsvetokova said.
The 16+1 cooperation has produced a trade growth model between China and the CEE, Qi Xuchun, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said in his speech at the forum.
"The trade growth rate between China and CEE countries has exceeded that of China-EU trade, reaching 9.2 percent year-on-year in 2014," Qi said.
The initiative has already produced a railway linking Hungary and Serbia, which was completed last December, Qi said. The Belgrade railway is also part of the Belt and Road Initiative, which other CEE countries see as the next strategic opportunity with China, such as Romania, according to Augustin Mitu, Deputy Speak of Romania's Senate.
"Romania is an important country linking China to Europe, and the two countries have huge potential of carrying out cooperation on infrastructure, energy, transport and trade," he said.
China and Romania are prepared to ink as many as 23 cooperation deals during the fourth meeting between Chinese and CEE leaders, Mitu said. The meeting will be held in China later this month.
"These deals are part of the outcome of the Belt and Road Initiative," Mitu said, "As early as 2013 when the initiative was put forward, the two sides have been making efforts to extend bilateral cooperation to more sectors."
The Belt and Road Initiative is open to all countries and is a way to push for common development, said Qi, who is also vice chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, which is one of the eight political parties in China.
To further enhance ties and political trust, Qi proposed China and the CEE countries send 1,000 young people for exchanges in the next five years.
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