Premier Li Keqiang begins Romania visit with trade deals
Premier Li Keqiang said closer ties with CEE countries would enhance China-EU relations
Premier Li Keqiang has begun his first tour of Central and Eastern Europe with the announcement of a series of two-way trade deals with Romania.
The deals - spanning commerce, investment, telecoms and energy - were announced on a day in which Li arrived in Bucharest with a delegation of more than 200 officials and business leaders and met Romanian Prime Minister Victor-Viorel Ponta, Xinhua reported.
Li said Chinese companies should play a bigger role in developing high-speed rail and energy projects in Romania, citing China General Nuclear Power's role in the expansion of the Cernavoda nuclear plant.
After meeting Ponta, Li described ties with Romania as "integral" to Beijing's relations with Eastern Europe, as well as the entire European Union. It was the first visit to Romania by a Chinese premier in 19 years.
Yesterday, Li was scheduled to attend a summit with 16 regional leaders, which was expected to result in more Chinese trade deals.
Chinese investment in Central and Eastern Europe was almost nonexistent in the early 2000s, but grew by more than 18 times between 2004 and 2010, to top US$800 million, according to the Warsaw-based Central and Eastern Europe Development Institute.