Amidst the global economic and financial crisis, when traditional markets and business ties are becoming weaker and volatile, Chinese government is turning not only to Asia, Latin America or Africa, but also to Central and Eastern Europe to (re)discover trade and business partners and investment opportunities. Nobody will be surprised to find that also leaders and businessmen from these countries are increasingly interested in the Chinese market; therefore last year in Budapest and this year in Warsaw a high-level cooperation summit was held in order to discuss further steps to intensify the mutual trade and investment exchange, as well as other forms of cooperation. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao announced in April in Warsaw the China´s Twelve Measures for Promoting Friendly Cooperation with Central and Eastern European Countries and shortly afterwards, the new Secretariat for cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries was established.

The Secretariat prepared a Seminar for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries, which was held on 14^thAugust 2012 at the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Distinguished representatives of sixteen relevant embassies were invited to brief local officials from Tianjin, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Hubei, Guangdong, Chongqing, Sichuan and Beijing, as well as representatives from major Chinese companies (i. e. China Minmetals Corporation, Changhong, CIC, China Road&Bridge Corporation etc.) on their respective national conditions, intentions of business cooperation and proposals. The Seminar was followed by a reception hosted by Mr. Liu Haixing, Director-General of the Department of European Affairs and Executive Secretary-General of the Secretariat, which enabled all participants to continue in an informal discussion about potential cooperation and exchange valuable opinions.

PETR VAVRA - CZECH REPUBLIC SPEECH

China_CEE_cooperation