1. China’s Endeavors to Advance Regional Cooperation

Since reform and opening-up policy was introduced, China has taken part in and initiated a number of all-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging regional cooperation mechanisms, with diverse forms and contents, including China-ASEAN Cooperation, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the China-CELAC Forum, the China-EU Summit, the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, the China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, the China-Pacific Island Countries Economic Development and Cooperation Forum and the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. China-CEEC Cooperation is a relatively young regional cooperation platform.

Table 6 Major Types and Forms of China’s Involvement in Regional Cooperation

To actively develop its relations with CEECs is also a choice made by China in order to deepen and expand international cooperation, in view of the new reality, where protectionism and deglobalization are on the rise and regionalism are growing strong. This new reality runs contrary to China’s development interests as it always embraces globalization and opening-up. It is, therefore, important for China to properly deal with its neighborhood and different parts of the Eurasian Continent. In this Continent, there are various regional organizations, such as ASEAN, the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union, which China needs to figure out how to get along with. As China cannot become members of these organizations, it comes up with new thoughts on getting involved in the cooperation processes. China-CEEC Cooperation is just such a format jointly advanced by China and CEECs, to respond to the needs of CEECs and to help both China and Europe develop in a more comprehensive, balanced and sustainable way. Unlike any other regional cooperation mechanism, it represents a totally new idea and attempt to advance regional cooperation.