Uncategorized
China, CEECs advances toward high-quality economic, trade cooperation
By Yang Xun, Gu Chun, Luo Shanshan, Liu Junguo, People’s Daily
The third China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair was held in Ningbo, east China’s Zhejiang province from May 16 to 20.
The expo has become a major platform that displays featured CEEC products and expands China’s imports from these countries. It is steering the two sides toward high-quality economic and trade cooperation.
Hungarian noble rot wine, ouzo from Greece and a series of other commodities under the EU geographical indications system were exhibited at the expo. Dazzling exhibits including foldable Slovenian skis and fragrant Bulgarian rose essential oil attracted visitors’ attention.
It is reported that over 5,000 kinds of commodities from CEECs joined the exhibition, up 25 percent from a year ago. About 3,000 exhibitors participated in the event, a record high in history.
“These are biscuits and chocolate candies that have been accompanying us since childhood. Please have a try,” said Dominik Pekalski, import-export manager of a trading company that has been engaged in China-Poland trade for over 15 years, when introducing commodities to visitors at the booth of Polish pastry brand Skawa during the China-CEEC Expo.
He said the Chinese consumer market is highly open and energetic, and his company is currently working to introduce more Polish products to the Chinese market.
“Through e-commerce platforms and other channels, we have already achieved remarkable performance. We are here at the expo to seek more opportunities in the Chinese market,” Pekalski told People’s Daily.
A total of 62 foreign-funded projects were signed during the expo, with a total investment of $17.78 billion, up 17.7 percent year-on-year.
Among all the projects, 17 were invested by Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises, covering high-end equipment manufacturing, biomedicine, digital economy and other frontier areas.
The expo was also attended by 15,000 professional purchasers and received 126,000 visits, and 10.53 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) of purchase orders for CEEC goods were reached, hitting historical highs.
This year marks the beginning of the second decade of China-CEEC cooperation. Under joint efforts from relevant parties, the two sides have achieved fruitful results in their economic and trade cooperation.
According to statistics released by China’s Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade between China and CEECs has grown at an average annual rate of 8.1 percent since the founding of the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism in 2012. China’s imports from CEECs have increased at an average rate of 9.2 percent annually during the same period.
Jiang Yu, special representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for China-CEEC Cooperation Affairs, noted that China will firmly pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, comprehensively promote high-quality development and high-level opening up, and keep sharing new opportunities of China’s development with CEEC.
China and CEEC, assisted by infrastructure connectivity, are seeing more efficient logistics between the two sides.
The Zhoushan Port in Ningbo has established cooperation mechanisms with five ports from CEECs, including the Piraeus port in Greece, the port of Gdansk in Poland, the Constanta port in Romania, the port of Koper in Slovenia and the Croatian Rijeka port. Fourteen container shipping routes have opened in total.
Last year, 769,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of containers were shipped between the Zhoushan Port and the five CEEC ports, up 16.5 percent year-on-year.
The China-Europe freight train service, hailed as an artery of freight transportation between China and Europe, was a hot topic during the China-CEEC Expo.
Lin Huihuan, general manager of a logistics company based in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, told People’s Daily that more and more clients of his company are willing to ship cargo to China through the Yixin’ou (Yiwu-Xinjiang-Europe) route, thanks to its low cost and stable capacity.
According to Lin, Yiwu has launched 18 point-to-point international lines to Central Asia and other regions, on which 1,569 trips were made last year.
“It is believed that the number will keep growing as the trade volume between China and CEECs continues to expand,” Lin said.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past 10 years, China-CEEC cooperation on infrastructure has achieved new heights. A series of projects have been implemented and completed under this initiative, including Montenegro’s Bar-Boljare Highway and the Belgrade-Budapest railway.
Croatian official Ranko Ostojic said the BRI has brought drastic changes to his hometown, citing the Peljesac Bridge as an example. The bridge facilitates local transport and creates a better life for the community, he explained.
Marko Selakovic, advisor to mayor of Kragujevac, Serbia, said the China-CEEC Expo was a high-standard, high-quality and high-level economic and trade event. He hopes the potential of China-CEEC cooperation could be constantly released.
By Fabian Apechihin
The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill has moved to the state level following its consideration by the National Assembly, paving the way for state legislatures to consider the proposed amendments.
The development comes amid renewed attention on constitutional reform and ongoing discussions over proposed changes to Nigeria’s governing framework.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over allegations surrounding borrowing by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
House spokesperson Akin Rotimi Agbese, speaking in an interview with Channels Television, rejected claims that Wike had undertaken borrowing without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese said the FCT minister could not independently create a sovereign borrowing obligation, stressing that public borrowing is subject to constitutional, statutory and administrative procedures.
“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.
He explained that borrowing to finance infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures had been followed.
“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he added.
The House spokesperson further argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of illegal borrowing, citing the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Abuja under Wike.
According to Agbese, the key issue is whether the appropriate approvals were obtained for specific borrowing transactions, rather than simply whether the FCT’s overall debt profile has increased.
The comments come as scrutiny continues over public borrowing, infrastructure financing and the legal procedures governing government debt at both the federal and sub-national levels.
By Fabian Apechihin
The 2026 Constitution Amendment Bill has moved to the state level following its consideration by the National Assembly, paving the way for state legislatures to consider the proposed amendments.
The development comes amid renewed attention on constitutional reform and ongoing discussions over proposed changes to Nigeria’s governing framework.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has defended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over allegations surrounding borrowing by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
House spokesperson Akin Rotimi Agbese, speaking in an interview with Channels Television, rejected claims that Wike had undertaken borrowing without the knowledge or approval of the National Assembly.
Agbese said the FCT minister could not independently create a sovereign borrowing obligation, stressing that public borrowing is subject to constitutional, statutory and administrative procedures.
“Wike has committed no infraction in borrowings. There is no basis for the allegation that he has been borrowing money behind the back of the National Assembly,” Agbese said.
He explained that borrowing to finance infrastructure was not unlawful where the required approvals and procedures had been followed.
“Borrowing for infrastructure development is not unlawful in itself, provided the prescribed approvals and procedures are followed,” he added.
The House spokesperson further argued that an increase in the FCT’s debt profile should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of illegal borrowing, citing the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Abuja under Wike.
According to Agbese, the key issue is whether the appropriate approvals were obtained for specific borrowing transactions, rather than simply whether the FCT’s overall debt profile has increased.
The comments come as scrutiny continues over public borrowing, infrastructure financing and the legal procedures governing government debt at both the federal and sub-national levels.
By Fabian Apechihin
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its intention to contest the 2027 presidential election despite the decision of Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The party said Wike’s decision was personal and did not alter its position to participate in the presidential election with its candidate, Senator Sandy Onor. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, made the clarification on Wednesday.
According to the party, a recent conversation between Wike and Onor should not be interpreted as a political negotiation between the minister and the PDP.
“He told Nigerians that Sandy is his friend. And they only had a friendly discussion within the umbrella of friendship. So, that is just a personal discussion between him and his friend,” Mohammed said.
He added that Wike’s support for Tinubu did not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates for the presidential, governorship and legislative elections.
Wike had earlier clarified that his support in 2027 was specifically for Tinubu’s presidential re-election and did not amount to an agreement that the PDP would withdraw from other electoral contests. He also said he never promised that the PDP would abandon its candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
“I said I will support the President from day one. I never told Mr President I will join APC,” Wike said.
The minister also maintained that his proposed Rainbow Coalition was not an arrangement with the All Progressives Congress (APC), but rather a platform through which politicians from different parties could mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.
The issue has generated disagreement with some APC governors, who have expressed concern about a political arrangement that could affect the party’s candidates at other levels.
APC Progressive Governors’ Forum Chairman, Hope Uzodinma, said the governors would not support any alliance or arrangement that could weaken the APC or adversely affect its candidates.
Meanwhile, APC presidential campaign council spokesperson Ima Niboro has urged Wike and APC governors to end their public exchanges and concentrate on political mobilisation.
“When I said tone down the rhetoric, I do not mean stop working. Stop talking, go and work,” Niboro said.
He urged political leaders to strengthen their grassroots structures and engage directly with voters rather than continue exchanging statements in the media.
“All this shouting is not taking anybody anywhere. Go and work. Go and establish your authority on your political base,” he said.
2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States
2026 Constitution Amendment Bill Moves to States
2027: PDP Insists on Presidential Contest Despite Wike’s Support for Tinubu
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