Recently, the 5th China-Central and Eastern European Countries (Cangzhou) Small 
and Medium Enterprises (SME) Cooperation Forum kicked off in Cangzhou, Hebei. 
Nearly 400 participants gathered, including envoys to China and government 
representatives from Central and Eastern European countries, sister city 
delegates, representatives from China's embassies in Central and Eastern 
European countries, as well as representatives from domestic and foreign 
business associations, universities, research institutes, and enterprises. They 
came together to strengthen friendships, and seek cooperation and development. 
In the event, Georgia participated as an observer and was warmly welcomed by 
China and Central and Eastern European countries.

The theme of this forum is "Expanding Openness and Cooperation for Mutual 
Development." During the event, guests and expert representatives from home and 
abroad gave keynote speeches on topics such as international cooperation 
between and future prospects of the SMEs of China and those of Central and 
Eastern European countries, creating a bright future for cooperation between 
SMEs in China and Central and Eastern Europe, the potential of cooperation 
between and the development directions of China and Central and Eastern 
European countries, advanced technology and industrial cooperation between 
China and Europe, and financial empowerment for the development of SMEs. They 
also engaged in roundtable discussions on deepening cooperation between China 
and Central and Eastern European countries.

The China-CEEC (Cangzhou) SME Cooperation Forum has been successfully held four 
times before, according to Hebei Provincial Industry and Information Technology 
Department, attracting approximately 3,000 attendees including state leaders, 
envoys to China from over 20 countries and regions such as Slovakia, Serbia, 
Germany, and Finland, as well as representatives from well-known domestic and 
international industry associations and enterprises. A total of 217 
international cooperation projects were signed with a total investment of 
1684.58 billion yuan (235.94 billion US dollars); sister city relationships 
were established with 12 cities in 7 Central and Eastern European countries 
including Croatia, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia; 48 cooperation memorandums 
were signed, and 53 cooperation relationships were established, covering 
various fields such as general aviation, medical devices, and high-end 
manufacturing. Additionally, a series of cooperation agreements in cultural 
exchanges, cooperative education, and technology transfer were signed. These 
achievements have provided important pathways for strengthening cross-border 
cooperation among SMEs in various countries and have served as an effective 
platform for Cangzhou city and even Hebei Province to enhance their level of 
openness to the outside world and to connect closely with high-quality 
industries in Central and Eastern Europe. Today, the China-CEEC (Cangzhou) SME 
Cooperation Forum has become a flagship foreign affairs event in Hebei Province.

Source: Hebei Provincial Industry and Information Technology Department