Chinese President Xi Jinping offers Covid-19 vaccines and trade ties in bid to keep Central and Eastern Europe on side
- Virtual 17 + 1 summit told that China will continue to push for more cooperation with the region
- Scepticism about Beijing is on the rise on the continent and some countries have complained its promises have come to nothing
Chinese President Xi Jinping has promised to supply more coronavirus vaccines to Europe and import more goods as he seeks to win over a region that is growing increasingly sceptical of Beijing.
Addressing an online gathering with 17 Central and Eastern European nations – the so-called 17 + 1 forum – Xi said China would continue opening up and push for more cooperation with the region.
He said China would import US$170 billion worth of goods and double the purchase of agricultural products from the region over the next five years, state news agency Xinhua reported.
He said Chinese companies had already supplied one million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Serbia, and were also working with Hungary, adding that China would actively consider working with other nations if they were interested.
The 17+1 grouping, whose members include EU and non-EU states, was established in 2012 in the aftermath of the global financial and euro zone crisis.