Consolidating traditional friendship, deepening practical cooperation and sharing development achievements, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ongoing state visits to Serbia and Poland will write a new chapter for relations between China and the Central and Eastern European(CEE) countries, read a commentary published on People’s Daily under the byline of Guo Jiping. 

Less than three months after the first state visit of a Chinese head of state to the Czech Republic, Xi is on his way to another milestone visit to the Central and Eastern European region, read the article, with the title of “To Inject New Impetus to China-CEE Cooperation.”

The article noted that thanks to concerted efforts, the mature CEE-China cooperation, also known as “16+1 cooperation”, has grown into an all-dimensional framework covering extensive ranges and multiple levels and reaped early harvest. 

Haling it as an innovative practice of China-Europe relations, the article pointed out that this cooperation pattern has blazed a new trail for the development of relations between China and its traditional friends and established a new platform for South-South cooperation with South-North cooperation characteristics. 

The effective alignment of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the “16+1 cooperation” will act as a “super engine” for China-CEE cooperation, which will not only expand enterprise investment and trade for countries along the route, but also push forward strategy docking and win-win cooperation between the two sides, read the commentary. 

When improving China-CEE cooperation, China always bears the big picture of Europe in mind and regards it as an important component of overall China-Europe ties, the article emphasized, adding that China-CEE cooperation will help narrow the gap between Eastern and Western Europe for the sake of a more balanced European integration. 

Guo Jiping is a renowned commentary column of the People’s Daily that interprets China’s stance and views on major international issues.