On the morning of Nov. 26 local time, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council attended the China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Summit in Bucharest, Romania. The summit was jointly hosted by Li Keqiang and Prime Minister Victor Ponta of Romania. China had in-depth discussions with leaders of the 16 Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries on deepening China-CEE relationship, and planned out the blueprint for future cooperation.
In his speech, Li Keqiang said that China and CEE countries enjoy profound traditional friendship and have no conflict of interest, and there is a firm foundation for expanding cooperation. China-CEEC cooperation is transparent, open and inclusive. It not only conforms to the interests of both sides, but also will play a positive and constructive role in deepening China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership.
Li Keqiang stressed that China attaches great importance to developing relations with CEE countries, and is willing to work with them to innovate cooperation ideas, methods and mechanisms, to properly implement the Bucharest Guideline, and to promote China-CEEC cooperation to a new level.
Li Keqiang pointed out that China-CEEC cooperation should adhere to "three principles". First, mutual respect, and equal treatment. Both sides should take care of each other's core interests and major concerns, and respect each other to choose their own development path. Second, mutual benefits, win-win results, and common development. Both sides should turn others' development into their own opportunities, and add assisting force through opening up to each other and mutual cooperation. Third, China-EU cooperation should move towards the same direction. Both side should promote the balanced development and cultivate more growth points of cooperation.
Li Keqiang put forward a six-point proposal for deepening China-CEEC cooperation in the next period. First, China and CEE countries should intensify economic and trade cooperation, and strive to double China-CEE trade value in five years. Discuss the signing of framework agreement for industrial investment, properly give play to the driving effect of cooperation in big projects, and pull off as many big deals as possible. Second, both sides should speed up connectivity. Jointly promote renovation and construction of China-CEEC transportation infrastructure to open up land and sea transportation channels between China and Europe. Encourage enterprises to set up bonded areas and distribution centers along railways and ports to build a new "artery" for China-Europe logistics. Third, both sides should enhance green cooperation. The Chinese government supports its enterprises to participate in the CEE nuclear power and other electric power projects, and hopes that the host countries improve investment environment. Fourth, both sides should expand financing channels. Make good use of the 10-billion-US-dollar special credit line for China-CEEC cooperation. China is willing to enhance financial cooperation by setting up branches of financial institutions with the relevant CEE countries, signing currency swap and settlement agreements. Fifth, both sides should further tap into potentials of cooperation at local levels. Give play to the advantage of short, flat and fast local exchanges in China and CEE countries to advance smoother and more effective bilateral cooperation. Sixth, both sides should enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Hold regular China-CEEC Cultural Cooperation Forum and the Education Policy Dialogue, and the Young Political Leaders Forum, and strengthen exchanges between think-tanks and media. China is willing to take corresponding measures with various countries to offer visas and other conveniences to citizens who travel and work at other relevant countries.
Li Keqiang pointed out that the just concluded Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee made deployment to comprehensively deepen China's reform in the future. China's reform has reached the crucial stage and waded into the deep water zone, but we have the determination to face the difficulty, to make the market play a decisive role in the allocation of resources, to further stimulate the market vitality, and to strengthen the motive force for development. Practices will prove that the more successful China's reform is and the more China opens up, the more the world and the Europe will benefit from China's development.
In the end, Li Keqiang said that the door of historic opportunities for China-CEEC cooperation has opened, and the blueprint for future cooperation is right before us at the moment. Let's take the summit as the new starting point to open up a new situation of China-CEEC cooperation, and to make greater contributions to promoting the development of China-EU relations and the world's prosperity and progress.
The participating CEEC leaders spoke highly of the achievements of CEEC-China cooperation, and warmly welcomed the bilateral cooperative strategy framework put forward by Li Keqiang, thinking that it has further defined the general direction of bilateral cooperation development. They said that CEE countries share the similar experiences with China, both are at a key stage of development, bilateral relationship is at its best in history, and bilateral cooperation has strategic significance. CEE countries cherish the traditional friendship with China, admire China's development achievements, and believe that China's further reform and opening-up will open up broader prospects for bilateral cooperation. CEE countries are willing to work with China to promote cooperation in economy and trade, investment, infrastructure connectivity, energy, finance, environmental protection and other fields, with a broader view and a more active attitude, to realize common development and to inject new impetus into China-EU relations.
After the meeting, China and the 16 CEE countries jointly issued the Bucharest Action Guideline on China-CEEC Cooperation