The Fourth China-CEEC Dialogue on Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation opens in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on June 7. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Cooperation on customs inspection and quarantine are essential for trade facilitation among countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said Wang Lingjun, vice minister of General Administration of Customs of China at an international dialogue meeting.

The Fourth China–CEEC Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue, held in Ningbo on June 7, attracted over 150 Chinese and overseas participants, including delegates from 12 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC), to share insights into customs cooperation, cross-border trade safety and optimizing business environments.

Cooperation between China and the CEEC is an important vector for the BRI, said Wang, adding that the dialogue meeting aims to deepen cooperation on customs inspection and quarantine, and contribute to the cross-border trade safety and facilitation between China and countries involved in the BRI.

Tomislav Tolušić, Croatian deputy prime minister and minister of agriculture, said that the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism is of great importance in facilitating trade in the CEEC and looked forwards to increasing cooperation with China in food supply and exporting quality Croatian agricultural products to China, such as tuna and red wine.

Under the guidance of the cooperation mechanism between China and the CEEC, fruitful achievements have been made between Chinese Customs and inspection and quarantine authorities in the CEEC.

China has signed bilateral mutual administrative assistance agreements with the customs authorities of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, and inked a customs cooperation framework agreement with Hungary, Macedonia and Serbia.

In the coming years, Chinese customs will work with its CEEC counterparts to extend trade channels and market access in an attempt to propel economic and trade cooperation between China and the CEEC to a higher level.

Official statistics revealed the total trade volume between China and the CEEC hit $82.2 billion in 2018, up 55.4 percent compared with 2011, of which imports from the CEEC rose 87.7 percent over 2011.