The third China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo and International Consumer Goods Expo will be held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province from May 16th to 20th, with the theme of "Deepening Practical Cooperation and Joining Hands for the Future". The State Council Information Office held a press conference in Beijing on the 5th to introduce the economic and trade cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, as well as the third China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo and the International Consumer Goods Expo. Strive to make this Central and Eastern European Expo a high-level, high-quality, and high-level economic and trade event, create a main platform to showcase Central and Eastern European characteristic products, expand imports from Central and Eastern Europe, and promote high-quality development of economic and trade cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, "said Li Fei, Deputy Minister of Commerce. Li Fei said that since the establishment of the China Central and Eastern European Cooperation Mechanism in 2012, China and Central and Eastern European countries have made positive progress in economic and trade cooperation, with an average annual growth rate of 8.1% in trade between China and Central and Eastern European countries. According to reports, since 2012, China's trade with Central and Eastern European countries has grown by an average of 8.1% annually, while China's imports from Central and Eastern European countries have grown by an average of 9.2% annually. In the first quarter of this year, the trade volume between the two sides reached 33.3 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 1.6%; China's direct investment in the entire industry of Central and Eastern European countries increased significantly by 148% year-on-year. From the perspective of product structure, mechanical and electrical products account for about 70% of China's and Central and Eastern European countries' imports and exports, indicating that China's and Central and Eastern European countries' trade products have high added value and technological content, reflecting a high level and value. From the perspective of growth rate, in the first quarter of this year, China's imports from Central and Eastern European countries grew rapidly. The main commodities with large amounts of money were carbonates, lasers, essential oils, whey, corn, etc., with year-on-year growth of 1241%, 1115%, 455%, 252%, and 141%, respectively. Yu Yuantang, Director of the European Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that economic and trade cooperation is the cornerstone of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. China and Central and Eastern European countries complement each other's economic advantages, have strong demand for cooperation, and are natural partners. At present, China and Central and Eastern European countries have established a comprehensive and multi-level mechanism for bilateral economic and trade cooperation and exchange, providing a good guarantee for enhancing cooperation momentum and deepening cooperation space. The "Three First" Exhibition of this Expo is an important bridge and link for deepening economic and trade cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries. Vice Governor Lu Shan of Zhejiang Province introduced that the Third China Central and Eastern European Countries Expo had "three firsts": the opening of a new venue for the first time, the use of a professional exhibition format for the first time, and the opening of a service trade exhibition area for the first time. This Expo is jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, with Hungary as the guest of honor and Jiangsu Province as the theme province. Set up three exhibition areas: Central and Eastern Europe Exhibition, International Consumer Goods Exhibition, and Central and Eastern European Commodity Perennial Exhibition, with an exhibition area of 220000 square meters. Taking economic and trade activities as the main theme, we also arranged activities in multiple fields such as technology, tourism, and health, totaling 27 important events. As of the 5th, political leaders from 7 Central and Eastern European countries and officials from 13 Central and Eastern European embassies and consulates in China have expressed their intention to attend. Compared to the second edition, this year's Expo has deepened cooperation, signed cooperation agreements with official institutions and business associations of Central and Eastern European countries, and established a normalized cooperation mechanism