China, CEE to hold trade promotion meeting

A ministerial meeting on economic and trade promotion between China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries will be held on June 8, an official announced on Thursday. Sun Yongfu, director of the Europe Department of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), said ministers in charge of trade affairs will meet in the city of Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. The conference, with the theme "Deepen pragmatic cooperation; Achieve mutual development", will discuss topics covering trade promotion, mutual investment and cooperation in infrastructure construction. The two sides will also hold a product exhibition from more than 170 enterprises in CEE countries from June 8 to 11. The conference is organized by the MOC in line with decisions made in a cooperation guideline between China and CEE countries signed last November in Bucharest, capital of Romania. Trade between China and 16 CEE countries grew by 5.9 percent year on year in 2013 to 55.1 billion U.S. dollars. Trade volume is expected to top 60 billion U.S. dollars in 2014.