Thanks to the CPC Central Committee, the China Economic Cooperation Center wants to boost the economic recovery of Eastern European countries despite the current health crisis, establish even stronger relations and support infrastructure development, investment in new projects, strengthen e-commerce and telemedicine.

This conference aims not only to raise the awareness of business people in Eastern Europe but also to emphasize to potential Chinese companies that regardless of the pandemic, the economy cannot stop, and neither can international cooperation, Chinese companies invest in countries affected by the current crisis.

In his speech, Mario Rendulić pointed out that the current health crisis in our countries should not be seen as an obstacle to progress, but rather as an opportunity to deepen mutual cooperation and trust.

- The safest and fastest ways of economic recovery go through the development of "green lines" in order to facilitate the free flow of people and goods and maintain a stable supply chain. There are new areas that are evolving rapidly: smart cities, 5G, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, big data, blockchain and telemedicine - all of which need to be developed while mutually strengthening data security, communication and policy coordination. Looking at the current global, regional and national health crisis in most European countries, it is clear that our response was not as swift or decisive as in China. However, it is important to look to the future, focus on policies that will deepen mutual cooperation and strengthen trust. All this must be developed with mutual strengthening of data security, policy communication and mutual coordination, said Rendulić.

The fastest development of the coronavirus vaccine can only happen through international cooperation, and not through mutual competition in development that some companies (and countries) are trying to lead, concluded Rendulić.

This conference sends an important message of cooperation, not only to business communities in Europe, but also to Chinese companies to continue with their investments into CEE countries. Despite the current pandemic, international cooperation and development of global economy can not stop. 

Over the past decade, Chinese economic growth brought China into a position to globally challenge the American economy. The USA and the European Union now suggest the anti-Chinese coalition, to limit the growth of Chinese economy, at any price. This reaction from the “West”, previously the engine of the global economy, is now trying to limit international trade and cooperation, something that is now widely criticized by economic experts all around the World. “Requests” from the West for limitations in cooperation between CEE countries and China only decreases economic perspectives for countries of Central and Eastern Europe. This current trend is, once again, bringing us back to the time before the World War Two, when closed economies, unemployment and poverty were common, end weaker countries were only being exploited by the “powerful West”.

Today, when we have already witnessed the successes of the globalised economy, global society and international cooperation, especially in the developing countries, PR China is giving hope for the continuation of economic growth and improvement in living condition. PR China is not any kind of threat, but rather a voice of reason that is trying to strengthen us all. The same as in 2008, Chinese growth can once again help our countries, Rendulić said. 

This is the first video conference organized by IDCPC to aim for business dialogue between CEE countries since the start of the Covid-19 global pandemic to establish a new format of cooperation between China and Eastern European countries that should encourage development and increase GDP in the CEEC region.

As China helped the world economy overcome the crisis and begin development not only in Western countries but also in Eastern Europe, Africa and South America in 2008, now again in times of global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, China is openly taking the initiative to help establish new frameworks and ways of cooperating in international trade with the aim of recovering the economies of countries in crisis based on their own experience of GDP growth during the pandemic.

Among the world's major economies, China will remain the only one to achieve positive economic growth. The OECD predicted in early December that the world economy would grow by 4.2 percent in 2021, and the Chinese economy would grow by eight percent. The OECD report points out that China's economic growth in 2021 will contribute to the growth of the world economy by more than one third.