Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to sign a series of agreements in areas ranging from trade to civil aviation during a visit to Serbia and Poland starting this week, diplomats said on Wednesday, as China looks to bolster its presence in central and eastern Europe.

Central and eastern European countries are competing for Chinese investment in everything from banking to beer, looking to lure companies in need of new markets while securing a foothold for their own products in the huge but difficult Chinese market.

Xi is expected to sign agreements in education, finance and technology, among other fields.

Chinese foreign direct investment in Europe hit a record high in 2015 of about $22.45 billion, represented an increase of 44 percent compared to 2014.

Germany, Britain and France accounted for almost half the total.

Only a small part of the investment went to central and eastern Europe, but as Chinese companies look to diversify as the domestic economy slows, volumes are growing, thanks to deals in infrastructure, energy, finance, real estate and travel.