The Dubrovnik Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries

1. The Participants support China in hosting the 9th China–CEEC Summit in 2020.

2. Strengthening China-CEEC planning and coordination

(1) The Participants affirm the important role of the Suzhou Medium Term Agenda and will continue to implement it, according to their respective needs and priorities. In order to promote 16+1 Cooperation, the Participants recognize the need to formulate a new Agenda in due course.

(2) The China-CEEC National Coordinators' Meetings will be held respectively in China and in one of CEECs in 2020.

(3) The Participants recognize the need to conduct a review of cooperation mechanisms and meetings developed within the 16+1 framework, and the results achieved to ensure efficient use of administrative resources of Participants and a more focused, result oriented approach, including updating the existing and planned China-CEEC cooperation platforms with the perspective to be discussed during the next National Coordinators' meetings.

(4) The Participants welcome Greece joining as a full-fledged participant of China-CEEC Cooperation.

(5) The Participants are willing to conduct consultations at National Coordinators' meetings on procedures for future enlargement.

(6) The Participants welcome the potential involvement of observers and other third countries and institutions on the basis of prior consultations and consensus by all Participants.

(7) The Participants positively comment efforts of China and CEECs to establish coordination mechanisms in different fields under the framework of 16+1 Cooperation and encourage prior notification and consultations.

3. Connectivity

(1) In the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative and the EU Strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia, in compliance with international and European standards, where or as applicable, the Participants will continue to step up their cooperation with third countries to promote digital economy, efficient transport connectivity and smart, sustainable, safe and secure mobility. The aforementioned refers in particular to the Investment Plan for Europe, the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) and their extensions to the Western Balkans and relevant neighborhood initiatives. The Participants will continue to contribute to the work under the EU-China Connectivity Platform and explore the integrated transportation corridors between China and Europe in order to make intermodal transport more accessible to potential users.

(2) The Participants are willing to promote railway projects cooperation in line with respective laws and regulations and through consultations, in particular by strengthening exchanges and cooperation on railway planning, railway organization development, management, technology development, logistics and freight terminal construction, and related human resource management with the aim to enhance the use of modern, safe and environmentally friendly technologies.

(3) China and CEECs that are Member States of the EU will cooperate within the structures of the EU-China Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters and of the EU-China Strategic Framework for Customs Cooperation. The cooperation in customs between China and CEECs will take place within the constraints of their respective competences. Participants will explore the possibilities of establishing a China-CEEC Customs Information Centre in Hungary.

(4) The Participants will jointly explore utilization and construction of logistics hubs. They will promote pragmatic cooperation on railway transportation and intermodal transport solutions including customs, to strengthen two-way supply of goods by container block train services and other railway cargo services between Europe and China, and endeavor to shorten the time of transportation. China is welcome to participate in joint development of new freight lines in connecting markets in Asia and Europe, under the understanding that it respects the principles of transparency and non-discrimination.

(5) The Participants emphasize the important role of China-CEEC Logistics Secretariat and the China-CEEC Coordinating Secretariat for Maritime Issues for facilitating trade flows between China and CEECs.

(6) The Participants welcome China and CEECs in cooperating on relevant infrastructure investment projects. In view of the increasingly important role of railway in social and economic development, global environmental protection and cooperation, railway transport will be one of the focuses of cooperation. The Participants welcome important progress made by China, Serbia and Hungary on the Belgrade-Budapest railway project and its possible extensions to the Adriatic Sea, the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. Participants support moving forward practical cooperation in the development of the China–Europe Land Sea Express Line and making use of EU-China Connectivity Platform to promote development of intermodal freight transportation.

(7) The Participants take note of the Three Seas Initiative. Participants express their willingness to cooperate within the Adriatic-Baltic-Black Sea Seaport Cooperation based on the Riga Declaration. They welcome port cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries, including the opportunities deriving from inland waterways and the intermodal connections to further enhance the cargo transportation between Asia and Europe. The Participants note the potential of maritime environment and scientific cooperation in the development of blue economy, to generate better prospects for investments.

(8) The Participants support conducting civil aviation cooperation including expanding air connections between China and CEECs.

(9) The Participants support the holding of the 5th China–CEEC Transport Ministers' Meeting in 2020 in Croatia. The Participants will continue to encourage relevant authorities of various countries to strengthen coordination and support enterprises in carrying out more mutually beneficial cooperation in logistics and transportation infrastructure.

4. Trade and investment

(1) The Participants recognize that China International Import Expo is a useful platform for promoting mutually beneficial economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries, including CEECs. The Participants welcome holding of the 3rd China International Import Expo in 2020.

(2) The Participants note the need to effectively pursue policies facilitating access for CEEC products into China in order to build a more balanced economic partnership between CEECs and China. They appreciate the EU and China's efforts towards identifying market access barriers that need to be further addressed.

(3) The Participants support necessary reform of the WTO aimed at addressing global trade challenges in order to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness by further developing WTO rules. The Participants take note of the EU-China Joint Statement of 9 April 2019 and support continued work within the framework of the EU-China Joint Working Group on WTO Reform and in the case of WTO members in compliance with WTO rules.

(4) The Participants welcome the increase of mutual investment between China and CEECs and encourage non-discriminatory and transparent investment environment for enterprises, and reiterate the need for conclusion of an ambitious Comprehensive Agreement on Investment and an agreement on Geographical Indications between the EU and China.

(5) The Participants recognize the importance of ensuring open, transparent and non-discriminatory procurement procedures. For the Participants, the procurement procedures and the awards of contracts will be in compliance with their respective regulations and international obligations. The Participants support China's accession to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement.

(6) The Participants support holding the 4th China–CEEC Ministerial Conference on Economic and Trade Promotion and China–CEEC Fair in Ningbo, China, in June 2020.

(7) The Participants support holding the China Investment Forum in the Czech Republic in 2020.

(8) The Participants reaffirm encouraging and strengthening exchanges and cooperation between SMEs in China and CEECs, and welcome the participation of the 16 CEECs in the 3rd China–CEEC SME Cooperation Forum in Cangzhou, China in 2020.

(9) The Participants welcome the China-CEEC Business Council in playing a more positive role in promoting trade and investment cooperation. The 6th meeting of the Council will be held in 2020.

(10) The Participants are aware of the importance of new trade formats, such as e-commerce, especially in the context of the development of the global economy, and support progress on WTO e-commerce negotiations. The Participants support the strengthening of trade relations between China and CEECs and will conduct further cooperation through e-commerce platform and encourage enterprises in China and CEECs to promote the import and export of high-quality local products through e-commerce. CEECs welcome Chinese e-commerce enterprises to consider the establishment of online regional, sub-regional or country pavilions to enhance the visibility of quality goods from CEECs.

(11) Chinese and CEECs' authorities will enhance communication in facilitation of entry of free samples.

5. Financial cooperation

(1) Participants support, on a voluntary basis, strengthening cooperation among government financial regulatory authorities to create a sound regulatory environment for cooperation among financial institutions in line with relevant legislation while respecting national circumstances.

(2) Participants welcome the efforts to diversify the currencies used by market participants in their respective countries in their economic decisions. China encourages the inclusion of RMB in the foreign exchange reserves of eligible CEECs.

(3) Interested Participants support further cooperation by China–CEEC Inter-bank Association in Budapest and welcome financial institutions from CEECs joining the Association. Participants explore the possibilities of participation of European financial institutions outside the 16 countries in the Association-related cooperation as partners.

(4) Participants encourage China and CEECs to increase communication aimed at addressing tax challenges raised by the digitalization of the economy.