The ongoing 4th China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo is bringing together entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators and blending cultural heritage with cutting-edge innovation as China and Europe prepare to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2025.
Held at the Ningbo International Convention Center in east China's Zhejiang Province, the four-day event brings together 435 enterprises from 14 CEEC nations, alongside exhibitors from nine other European countries, including the UK, France, and Germany.
Over 3,000 international buyers are exploring 8,000 products across an 80,000-square-meter trade zone, with themes ranging from sustainable technology to traditional crafts.
Exhibitors say they are proud to be part of the growing ties between China and Central and Eastern European Countries.
Among them, Polish exhibitor Sandra Krawczyszyn Szczotka stressed that the expo offers a unique opportunity to showcase Central and Eastern Europe’s distinct identity.
"I think it's crucial for us because the European Union is something considered as one country, but having the platform exclusively for the Central and East Europe is very nice to me, because Chinese can really differentiate our cultures. Here they can see that we have some commonalities and we have some like different cultural points. For me, it's always a great time to visit China and try to understand how Chinese people really perceive our products," she said.
From printed poetry to live music performances, the expo shows that culture is not just soft power, it is also strategic. And on the other hand, innovation emerged as a key theme, particularly in green technology.
"In (production of )some electric vehicles, (there are) so many of our Chinese companies are cooperating with European companies in these sections. For example, Volkswagen in Germany with our battery provider like Ningde Shidai [CATL], something like this, and we always exchange our opinions technically and also in some management parts," said Alex, a project manager at Emergen Technology Co., Ltd.
The expo runs until Sunday, with side events including a consumer goods forum and a CEEC tourism promotion week.
China-CEEC Expo bridges cultures, innovation in Ningbo
