China-CEEC Trade: Industrial base helps small, medium-sized businesses

Your next bottle of wine or your next high-tech device may be the product of cooperation between two components. In a major move to enhance China's ties with countries along the Belt and Road, China-CEEC (Central and Eastern European Countries) SME Cooperation Zone, an active industrial zone in the northern Chinese province of Hebei is becoming a magnet for European companies. The benefits are now paying off in big ways.

For 500 years, Karol Sebo's family has been brewing wine in his native Slovakia. Now, China gets a taste of this centuries-old sweetness.

"The good thing about China's market is it is growing very fast," said Karol in the Slovak Business Center in Cangzhou, Hebei. "The increase of wine consumption is significant from year to year, so this is a big advantage of the Chinese market."

As a fluent Mandarin speaker since university days, Karol is now working with Chinese friends in the Slovak Business Center which he believes will be the launchpad for his career in China.

The ties between China and Slovakia date back to the 1950s when a group of engineers from Czechoslovakia came here to help with agricultural production. A museum was later built to commemorate their deeds, inside which the equipment they brought is all well kept.

The traditional friendship between China and Central and Eastern European countries is still remembered by people here, and on that note, the cooperation between companies from both sides is entering a new stage.

In 2012, China formed the 16+1 cooperation framework with 16 countries from Central and Eastern Europe.

This platform has helped pass down long-standing friendly ties. More small and medium-sized Chinese and European companies are moving to this newly established industrial cooperation base.

Wang Fuyi is CEO now building a caravan production line here. "It is a very good platform for us to build cooperation with foreign companies, especially those in Europe," said Wang, who is working with companies from Romania and the United States.

The industrial zone exempts small companies from rent for their first three years to boost development. The local government is also happy to see more come in, as they are also helping them settle here.

"We have a good basis and (affluent) resources for international cooperation, including more than 60 years of exchanges with Central and Eastern European countries," noted Li Wenchao, director of the Investment Cooperation Department, China-CEEC SME Cooperation Zone.

Hebei Haijie Teaching Equipment started working with Czech companies years ago.

"We have formed a joint venture with Czech partners here in Cangzhou to conduct RD, production and sale of products. The relationship between the two governments is helping us to reach an agreement more swiftly," said Yuan Jing, deputy manager of Hebei Haijie Teaching Equipment. Their products are now exported to over 60 countries.

The cooperation now covers more sectors, including the aviation industry, high-end equipment manufacturing and education. As more small and medium-sized companies from across Eurasia work together, they are looking to benefit more as the Chinese market grows.

(CGTN)