BRUSSELS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China and the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) have witnessed fruitful and flourish cooperation on areas including interconnection, finance, agriculture and culture since the establishment of China-CEEC mechanism, also known as the 16+1 mechanism.

China’s “One Belt One Road (OBOR)” initiative was linked to European investment plan via CEEC, which also bond the exchanges and cooperation between Asia and Europe. On the other hand, the initiative also helps promote the two regions’ cooperation.

CHINA-ROMANIA: ENERGY COOPERATION FLOURISH

China and Romania have witnessed solid development of their economic cooperation since the“16 plus 1 cooperation” mechanism was established. Meanwhile, the initiative helps inject vigor into their coordination particularly in energy section.

The two sides have struck an agreement to jointly construct the units 3 and 4 of the Cernavoda nuclear power plant last year. Once the units are built, the plant will manage to cover nearly 40 percent of Romania’s national electric generating capacity.

The agreement, worth up to seven billion euros, stands not only as the most significant project between China and Romania but also the landmark program between China and CEEC.

The construction and operation of the two new units will greatly improve Romanian energy supply situation, help the country to become an important energy producer in the region and making contribution to the energy independence of Romania or even theEuropean Union, according to Romanian energy ministry.

At the same time, the project will provide huge orders for the country’s industry and boost its economic growth, the ministry said.

China and Romania are speeding up their cooperation, conducting negotiations on projects including nuclear, heat-engine, hydroelectricity, highways, which worth to several billion euros, according to the Romanian side.

Romania will work to implement series of cooperation projects with China on energy, infrastructure and digital technology, said Costin Borc, Romanian vice prime minister and minister of economy, commerce and relations with the business environment.

CHINA-POLAND: HISTORIC AND CURRENT COOPERATION BOOSTED

Poland is a vital stop on the roadmap of the OBOR initiative as the country sits at the crossroad of Europe and enjoyed the sound advantage in geography.

China and Poland, together in 1951, invested the Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Company, the first sino-foreign joint venture since the year of 1949 when China was established. The company has gained rapid development and made record profits over the past 15 years. Currently, its operating area covers east and south Asia, Mideast, which are within the targeted areas of the OBOR initiative.

Governments and enterprises from both sides have exchanged frequently since the implementation of the initiative, which is reportedly viewed by Poland as a chance to develop the country into a transfer center for the logistic and goods in the region.

New opportunities for the land trade ties between China and Poland were brought by China-Europe trains including the Chengdu-Europe Express Railway and "Sumanou”, two non-stop trains which run from China to Poland help inject momentum into China-Poland economic ties.

Poland, particularly its central city Lodz, will benefit from the OBOR initiative, Polish experts said. Lodz, which sits in the heart of Europe and owns completed transportation, will stand as a promising logistic hub for Poland or even for the Central and Eastern Europe, they argued.

Lodz attaches great importance to the cooperation with Chinese local governments and companies, said Deputy Mayor of Lodz Marek Cieślak. He expressed the hope that Poland and China will jointly build the Chengdu-Europe Express Railway, of which the destination is Lodz, into a crucial stop on Chinese Silk Road Economic Belt.

SERBIA: CHINA IS A VITAL PARTNER

The cooperation between China and CEEC is on the basis of OBOR and Serbia is an important partner for China to make the initiative into practice, said the Serbian side.

There are lots of landmark projects between two countries including the construction of the "Mihailo Pupin" bridge across the Danube in Belgrade; repair and construction of new block and the expansion of (coal) mines of the thermal power plant "Kostolac"; the construction of highway sections of the Corridor 11.”

“Serbia has in recent years become a kind of Chinese infrastructural polygon in Europe,” said Branko Zujovic, a senior Serbian journalist and writer.

China arrived to the Central and Eastern Europe at a time when the mentioned regions felt significant consequences of the great crisis that began in 2008. It brought to the region its capital, opportunity for development and commitment to invest in mutually beneficial projects. This is a great impulse for the economies of these countries, but also for the stability of Europe, he said.

The fundament of the OBOR is not just the exchange of goods, economy, money, but the exchange of cultures, languages, values that motivate mutual understanding. The initiative is extremely important and its scale is yet to be seen in next several decades, said Zarko Obradovic, first Serbian coordinator of the summit of China and 16 countries in the region.

CEEC PIN HOPE ON “16 + 1 COOPERATION”

The “16+1 Cooperation”mechanism has generated fruitful outcome since its establishment and continues to be appealing to CEEC.

The Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the CEE Countries (APACCCEEC), established in last June in Bulgaria, operated a website and so far has registered 70 more companies from China and CEEC which seek business opportunities.

"In the past two years we see that there isn’t a single country among them that does not wish to be a part of the project, and doesn’t wish for something from the project to be realized," said Obradovic.