Concept Paper

The Fourth High-Level Think Tanks Symposium of China and Central and Eastern European Countries will be held in Beijing, China from December 17th to December 19th, focusing on the theme of “China-CEEC Cooperation: Prospects for the Next Five Years”. By then, about 300 experts and scholars from the 17 countries will be gathered in Beijing to share their insights and advice for cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. Wang Chao, Vice Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PRC, Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries, and Cai Fang, Vice President of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Executive Vice-President of 16+1 Think Tanks Network, will both attend and deliver speeches.

The year 2017 marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the “16+1 Cooperation” framework. Held at this particular time, our Symposium constitutes an important think tanks conference after the 6th China-CEEC Leader Summit in Budapest. Aiming at giving full play to the research capacity and multidimensional influence of think tanks, this Symposium seek to promote policy communication and people-to-people exchange among all countries, laying a solid public foundation for the “16+1 Cooperation” between China and Central and Eastern European countries over the next five years.

The seminar will set three panel sessions, the themes of which are as following:

Panel 1. How the “16+1 Cooperation” Promotes the “Belt and Road” Initiative

China and Central and Eastern European countries are old friends in history, and new partners in reality; distant relatives in geography, but spiritual neighbors in mentality. We enjoy strong economic complementarity and great potential for cooperation. This panel session will center on how China and Central and Eastern European Countries can promote the interconnection and interoperability by launching pragmatic cooperation under the background of “Belt and Road” construction, as well as analyze and evaluate the status quo of “16+1 Cooperation” in each country.

Panel 2. How to Drive the “16+1 Cooperation” Forward in the Next Five Years

In the past five years, the “16+1 Cooperation” has accumulated many valuable experiences. To sort out and summarize it will help this mechanism to maintain its vitality in the next five years and so. Including case studies and facts analysis, this panel session is devoted to discussing the key factors that may affect the development of the “16+1 Cooperation” in the next five years, such as mutual political trust, economic investment and trade, legal environment and people-to-people exchange.

Panel 3. How the “16+1 Cooperation” Promotes Closer China-EU Relation

As an important part of the overall China-EU relations, the “16+1 Cooperation” has drawn wide attentions of all parties since the day it was put forward. How can the “16+1 Cooperation” synergize with initiatives of the EU? How can it add new meaning and bring new impetus to China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership? Those will be the topics of discussion of this panel session.