China-Central and Eastern Europe Cooperation Secretariat was established in Beijing in September, 2012. The first international conference for coordinators has been held, marking a new stage in China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation. Local leaders from China and Central and Eastern Europe met in Chongqing , solidifying cooperation, with “economic and trade cooperation as its method and local cooperation as its platform”.

A new breakthrough needed

For the past twenty years, the development of China-Central and Eastern Europe relations has progressed from mutual respect to mutual cooperation and trust. However, many differences between Central and Eastern European countries have made the cooperation more difficult such as unbalanced national powers, differences in economic structures, and the co-existence of EU members and non-members. As it is not appropriate for China to choose countries to cooperate with, setting “preferred countries or projects”, a new breakthrough and platform is needed for the development of China-Central Eastern Europe cooperation, which can flexibly exert its functions under the general framework. Undoubtedly the China-Central and Eastern European local cooperation established at the conference (known as the “Chongqing Initiative”) is the best choice.

Local cooperation promising

Since the end of the Cold War, the level of China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation has been limited and local cooperation has also been lagging behind. However, efforts can be made to promote local cooperation.

Firstly, the parties can continue to give play to the original mechanism of local cooperation, providing experience for new cooperation. There are some multilateral cooperation mechanisms between China and Central and Eastern European countries, particularly in the field of agriculture. The forum on agricultural economic and trade cooperation between the parties successively held since 2006 has accumulated experience for promoting cooperation between China’s provinces such as Jiangsu and Anhui and Central and Eastern Europe.

Secondly, expanding new cooperative fields and creating conditions for local cooperation. During the Chongqing conference, participants discussed issues including trade investment, medium and small enterprises, agriculture, technology and cultural exchanges. As mutual cooperation is further deepened, local cooperation between China and Central and Eastern Europe looks very promising.

Thirdly, promoting local cooperation through sister province/state or city ties. There are currently altogether 37 such ties at provincial or state level and 58 at city level. As the mainstay of local cooperation, sister relationships are conducive to safeguarding mutual trust as well as carrying out cooperative projects.

Fourthly, actively participating in the local cooperation mechanism under the China-EU cooperative framework to expand the channel of local cooperation. For example, continuing to push forward mechanisms such as the China-EU Mayors Forum and the China-EU Urbanization Forum.

Recommendations for local cooperation

The “Chongqing Initiative” is of great significance in the development of China-Central and Eastern Europe relations, as it has not only encouraged the continuance of the economic and trade forum between China and Central and Eastern European countries launched in 2011, but also set up a new platform for the next stage. Local cooperation is therefore very promising, but some problems are also worthy of our attention.

First, the parties should continue to accumulate experience during the process. There is no precedent to follow or sufficient experience in all-around local cooperation between the two sides, so it is necessary for them both to carry out pragmatic cooperation with an attitude of mutual respect and mutual learning. China-Central and Eastern Europe Cooperation Secretariat should play a positive role in coordination and promotion.

Secondly, attention should be paid to the differences between Central and Eastern European countries which include both EU and non-EU states, euro and non-euro members. These also differ in economic structures, economic capacity and developmental levels.

Thirdly, stress ‘two-situation awareness’. China-Central and Eastern Europe local cooperation should be conducive to both bilateral relations and China-EU relations. On the one hand, local cooperation must not deviate from principles of the development of relations between countries. On the other hand, it must not clash with the existing mechanism and framework of China-EU cooperation.

Fourthly, actively respond to the “intervention” from powers with interests in Central and Eastern Europe. The EU has been suspicious of China’s involvement in Central and Eastern Europe, and even against the long-term relations between the two sides. Russia is afraid that China will enter its “backyard” and occupy its space via Central and Eastern Europe. The US is worried whether its strategic interests in Europe will be lost with China’s deepening relations with Central and Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, Japan has taken frequent actions to hedge China’s influence in the region. (In late June, 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid visits to four Eastern European countries including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary). These powers will not give up their interests in Central and Eastern Europe. In fact, this is not necessarily a zero-sum outcome, but in future there will be increasingly obvious competition of interests in the region between China and other powers. China should therefore take the path of cooperation based on equality, mutual benefit and trust in carrying out local cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries.

The author is a research fellow with the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

(Chinese version: Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 558, February 12, 2014. http://www.csstoday.net/xueshuzixun/guoneixinwen/87664.html)

Translated by Yu Hui