China's trade with Central, Eastern Europe hits new high in 2024

Bilateral trade between China and Central and Eastern European countries reached a record high in 2024, with the 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Expo next month set to highlight this growth, a commerce official said on Friday.

At a press briefing in Beijing, China's Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong noted that trade between China and Central and Eastern European nations has consistently grown since 2012, with the bilateral trade volume reaching a new historical record in 2024.

"Since 2012, China's trade with Central and Eastern European countries has gone up at an average annual rate of 8.8 percent, while imports from these countries have increased by an average of 7.4 percent annually. Both figures exceed China's overall foreign trade growth rate during the same period. In 2024, bilateral trade volume reached a record high of 142.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 6.3 percent year on year," Yan introduced at a press conference in Beijing.

He also reported the investment cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries has been growing increasingly robust and extensive.

"According to incomplete statistics, China's investment in Central and Eastern European countries has exceeded 24 billion U.S. dollars to date. In recent years, Chinese electric vehicle makers and enterprises in the upstream and downstream of power batteries have intensified their exploration and investment in the Central and Eastern European region. This has emerged as a new highlight of bilateral investment cooperation," he said.

In addition, the development of interconnectivity has been progressing rapidly. The Southern Corridor of the China-Europe Railway Express has witnessed accelerated growth, with Central and Eastern European countries emerging as key transit points and destinations for the service. Furthermore, the total number of direct air routes connecting China and Central and Eastern European countries has surpassed 30.

The 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Expo, set to take place in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang province, from May 22 to 25, will feature a record number of exhibitors. In addition to participants from 14 Central and Eastern European countries, exhibitors from nine other nations, including the UK, France, and Germany, will also participate in the event.

The legitimate rights of the Palestinian people must be respected and protected, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Mao made the remarks in response to a media query about the reports that the Israeli parliament recently adopted a new law introducing death penalty for Palestinians, and countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have expressed strong condemnation, saying such practice is "entrenching a system of apartheid."

"All legislation must conform to legal principles such as the principle of legality, fairness and justice, and must not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, nationality or political view. The legitimate rights of the Palestinian people must be respected and protected. Relevant party’s actions that escalate tensions and exacerbate confrontation must stop," said Mao.