From Yogurt from Bulgaria, olive oil from Greece, milk from Poland, beer from the Czech Republic and the wine "Tokaj" from Hungary, agricultural products from CEE countries have been introduced to Chinese families, enriching people's dining tables and becoming a window to learn about the customs of CEE countries. Due to natural conditions and historical factors, CEE countries are particularly dependent on agricultural development. Agricultural trade occupies a prominent place in China-CEEC cooperation, and agriculture is also one of the key areas of cooperation between the two sides.


Since the beginning of this year, the coVID-19 epidemic has affected agricultural production and foreign trade channels in central and Eastern European countries to varying degrees, resulting in serious losses. As China has made major strategic achievements in its fight against COVID-19, its stable and sound economic development has led to the resumption of agricultural trade in CENTRAL and Eastern Europe, and the Chinese market has become a new growth point for the region's agricultural exports.


Exports to China bucked the trend


Less than 100km from Lodz station, the terminus of the Euronext line between Poland and Central Europe, Walvich is one of Poland's major dairy producers. More than 600 containers worth eur10 million of dairy products are shipped to China every year. Thanks to the growth of the Chinese market, Poland's dairy exports to China are growing rapidly.

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Poland's dairy industry, which is heavily dependent on the European market, has been hit by a sharp drop in demand for dairy products in The wake of the outbreak, with many farmers having to reduce stocks to contain losses. "The epidemic has increased our cost of storing and transporting dairy products by about 20 percent," said Simone Marcos, sales manager of the Milk Cooperative in The Vovich region. "Many big producers are on the brink of bankruptcy. Without the Chinese market, we would have lost even more."


In the first half of this year, Poland bucked the trend by increasing its exports of milk and cream to China by 25 per cent and whey powder by 1.6 times. "Polish dairy products are popular in China because of their green and healthy quality and unique taste," said Maritzevska, director of the Polish Milk Chamber of Commerce. In the face of the challenges posed by coVID-19 and rising trade protectionism, China has become an important export destination for us and is expected to remain so in the future."


China-poland agricultural trade has bucked the trend, thanks to the unique role played by the China-Europe freight train during the epidemic prevention and control period. The equipment is suitable for the transport of livestock products, fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Compared with air and sea transport, it has freight and time advantages and has become a highlight in the current agricultural trade between China and CEE countries. In August this year, the number of freight trains running in China and Europe and the number of delivery boxes set a new record, with year-on-year growth of 62 percent and 66 percent, respectively.


"In 2019, the total agricultural trade between China and the 17 cee countries exceeded us $1.4 billion, which is very important for us," said Joachim Trachic, President of the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce in Poland. Under the impact of the epidemic, agriculture and animal husbandry, which have relatively fragile industrial chains, have been severely hit, and the Chinese market has become more important. We should make full use of the advantages of the China-EUROPE freight train and actively explore new avenues of agricultural trade cooperation between CEECs and China."


"Cloud" power "group" into the market


On September 17, the cloud Expo on Agricultural Products with Characteristics of China and Central and Eastern European Countries opened in Weifang, Shandong province. Nearly 100 CEEC companies settled in online pavilions, diplomatic envoys from more than 10 countries in China participated in live broadcasts, and over 6.5 million visitors participated in the Cloud Expo.


The year 2020 will be the Year of Diversified agricultural Cooperation between China and CENTRAL and Eastern European Countries. Affected by the epidemic, some agricultural cooperation projects have been postponed and some exhibitions have to be cancelled. However, online trade cooperation continues to warm up, giving a strong boost to bilateral trade. In the first half of this year, agricultural trade between China and CENTRAL and Eastern European countries reached us $730 million, up 8.2 percent year on year.


Bulgaria's wine industry is facing difficulties as a result of the outbreak, with both consumption and export of wine decreasing, according to media reports. The good news is that in the past three months, online wine trading has turned around, with the rise of many online wine stores, especially from China, showing a significant increase in online orders.

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The development of online agricultural trade between China and CEE countries cannot be achieved without the establishment of a series of platforms in recent years. In November 2018, the "16+1" E-commerce logistics center and exhibition hall for agricultural and other products in Central and Eastern Europe was officially launched in Yantian Port, Shenzhen, to conduct cross-border agricultural products trade through B2B. In February 2019, the first China-CEEC E-commerce exhibition center was inaugurated in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city. In April 2019, jd Supermarket opened the "Hungarian National Pavilion" online, attracting many fans to shop...


The China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo, which is held in Ningbo in June every year, has been launched in the "Cloud" this year. Through a series of activities such as trade matchmaking and live streaming, CEEC companies will still be able to expand their presence in the Chinese market. In mid-june, China - central and eastern European countries to return to work and production of small and medium-sized enterprises video information exchange and symposium, 157 Chinese enterprises, 135 home country small and medium-sized enterprises and government agencies in eastern Europe by forms of online communication, to discuss "the outbreak era" return to work and production cooperation, a total of nearly 70 cooperation agreement or contract, involved in industrial manufacturing, trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, cultural exchanges, health care and other fields.


Association of China council for the promotion of agricultural cooperation with central and eastern Europe countries Bulgaria, lucile GeLeiFu said that the government set up e-commerce platform brings together relevant food and agricultural association, "as the central and eastern Europe relatively decentralized farmers through electricity 'means' started to enter the Chinese market and brand laid a shortcut", "China - central and east European countries agricultural cooperation potential, are highly complementary to each other. Cee countries implement EU standards in food and other areas, but prices are relatively low. We are confident that 'Made in CENTRAL and Eastern Europe' has a promising future in the Chinese market."


Agricultural and technological cooperation will be improved


In recent years, China and CEE countries have also made great progress in agricultural exchanges, investment and research cooperation. The first china-CEEC agricultural cooperation demonstration zone has been set up in Bulgaria, focusing on cooperation in agricultural scientific research, agricultural machinery, planting, breeding and processing of the whole industrial chain. The first Sino-Romanian agricultural science and Technology park opened in Romania, including a smart LED plant factory and a light, simplified and energy-saving solar greenhouse...


"Agricultural cooperation between China and CEEC is mutually beneficial and mutually complementary. Central and Eastern Europe has a long tradition of agriculture that is unique in both fine management and agricultural techniques. Poland's fruit processing technology, Romania's vegetable technology and Hungary's animal husbandry have long been among the top countries in the EU. Technical cooperation in agriculture will jointly enhance our comprehensive agricultural production capacity." 'said Gulliver.


A date tree from Shaanxi, China, is seen at the Joint Key Laboratory of The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest, Romania. Since taking root in 1996, Romanian agricultural experts have grafted more than a dozen new dates onto the tree. That brought the jujube tree to Bucharest Romania's agricultural science and veterinary medicine university vice-chancellor florins stein said monica, agricultural cooperation has always been in the testimony of friendship between the two countries, "the future in agricultural production in central and eastern Europe, China's capital market will play a more and more important role, and it is beyond doubt.