China-CEEC people to people exchange takes hold
- By Guo Yiming
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China.org.cn, December 16, 2016
Bilateral and multilateral exchange between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) has taken off in 2016 and has brought about many positive results, said Cai Fang, executive vice-president of 16+1 Think Tanks Network and vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
![The Symposium of Think Tanks of China and CEEC and the closing ceremony of China-CEEC People to People Exchange is held in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2016. [Photo by Guo Yiming/China.org.cn]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20161216/00016c42b41619bd976b01.jpg "The Symposium of Think Tanks of China and CEEC and the closing ceremony of China-CEEC People to People Exchange is held in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2016. [Photo by Guo Yiming/China.org.cn]") |
|
The Symposium of Think Tanks of China and CEEC and the closing ceremony of China-CEEC People to People Exchange is held in Beijing on Dec. 15, 2016. [Photo by Guo Yiming/China.org.cn] |
"According to statistics, over 40 events centering on culture, tourism, media, education, technology and think tanks have been held in 2016," said Cai, who was speaking at the closing ceremony of the China-CEEC People to People Exchange Year in Beijing on Dec. 15.
A decision made by top government officials in China and the 16 CEE countries late last year, the exchange year was meant to boost all-around and multi-level communication and mutual understanding between the two sides, building on the strong momentum of what is called the "16+1" mechanism.
Recognizing the booming cooperation in various fields such as infrastructure and interconnectivity, Liu Haixing, secretary-general of the Secretariat for Cooperation between China and CEEC, highlighted the pivotal role of people to people exchange in deepening friendship and mutual understanding.
Liu, who is also the assistant foreign minister, calls for the two sides to learn from each other and make complementary development based on equality and mutual respect.
The "16+1" mechanism, which goes hand in hand with the Belt and Road Initiative, has opened up new possibilities for cooperation in various fields like economy, trade, infrastructure, energy and public health, and its scope is constantly expanding, said Ivica Dacic, first deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Serbia.
He revealed that Serbia will grant Chinese tourists visa-free travel on Jan. 1, 2017, in an aim to boost people to people exchange, making it the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to waive the visa requirement for Chinese.
Co-organized by the Institute of European Studies at CASS and the Secretariat of the 16+1 Think Tank Network, the closing ceremony of the exchange year and a symposium of think tanks between China and CEEC, has drawn over 200 participants from the government as well as the academic, media and business circles.
The event also witnessed the launch of several books concerning people to people exchange between the two sides, mostly edited and compiled by research fellows from CASS, China's top think tank.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)