The press conference on the 3rd CHINA-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair kicked off on May 14, 2023 in Ningbo (Photo/Xiao Da)

The third China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair will be held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, from May 16 to 20, said Shi Qiqi, vice director of the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province on a press conference kicked off on the afternoon of May 14 in Ningbo. 

As the only national-level institutional exhibition facing Central and Eastern Europe in China, the theme of this year's China-CEEC Expo is "Deepening Pragmatic Cooperation and Working Together for the Future". 

As introduced by Mr Shi, the event has invited quite a few high-profile guests both from home and abroad. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Serbia will deliver a video address. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economy of Hungary, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Conservancy of Serbia and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia will attend the offline event. 

Up to present, about 290 foreign guests from 12 countries have confirmed to attend the event, including ambassadors, consuls general, counsellors from Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Serbia and other CEE countries. In terms of domestic guests, 31 provinces including autonomous regions and municipalities will organize delegations to attend the event, among which the attendence of 18 provinces and cities, including Gansu, Shandong, Henan and Hubei, will be led by provincial leaders.

For the organization of the event, the Expo will focus on economic and trade activities, together with science and technology, tourism, health and other fields, with a total of 27 important activities. Among them, seven institutional events will be held under the auspices of national ministries and commissions, including the Seventh Meeting of the China-CEE Countries Joint Chamber of Commerce, during which a series of cooperation outcomes will be released. 

In terms of the exhibitions and fairs, this year’s event will set up three major exhibition areas, namely the Central and Eastern Europe Exhibition, the International Consumer Goods Fair and the Annual Imported Goods Exhibition, with a total exhibition area of 220,000 square meters. The CEE Exhibition will be highlighted by its three "firsts", that is, the first time to use the new venue, the first time to classify the exhibitors according to their professional fields, and the first time to open a service trade exhibition area. This year, the event will focus on agri-food products and specialty consumer goods from CEE countries. 

Reporter: Ye Ke, Xiao Da