On May 26, 2026, the 7th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Local Leaders' Meeting and the 2026 Shandong International Sister Cities Cooperation and Exchange Week solemnly opened in Jinan. State Councilor Chen Yiqin attended and delivered a speech. Political leaders from North Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and other countries participated. Lin Wu, Secretary of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee, delivered a speech, and Governor Zhou Naixiang presided over the meeting. Approximately 400 representatives from 44 countries gathered in Jinan to discuss cooperation. In the current context of profound changes in the global landscape, this grand event is not only a heartfelt reflection on the 14-year cooperation mechanism but also a pragmatic blueprint for the future.

The Grand Meeting Opens

In her speech, Chen Yiqin pointed out that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and leaders of Central and Eastern European countries, the China-Central and Eastern European Countries cooperation mechanism has achieved fruitful results in the 14 years since its inception, effectively promoting the coordinated development of bilateral relations, regional cooperation, and China-EU relations. She emphasized that local cooperation should grasp the historical trend, adhere to open cooperation, strengthen strategic alignment, achieve practical results, focus on green innovation, enhance development momentum, deepen mutual learning among civilizations, and promote people-to-people connectivity. This speech pointed the way for the next stage of local cooperation and demonstrated China's firm determination to continuously promote high-level opening-up.

On May 26, 2026, the 7th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Local Leaders' Meeting and the 2026 Shandong International Sister Cities Cooperation and Exchange Week were grandly opened in Jinan

Practical Results

The meeting released a list of sister cities, a scholarship program for international students, anniversary celebrations of sister city relationships, and a list of cooperation achievements with Central and Eastern European countries. A series of practical measures have brought cooperation from paper to reality. Representatives from Serbia and Vietnam shared their genuine stories of cooperation with Shandong, vividly illustrating the power of "people-to-people connectivity." Chen Yiqin also held bilateral meetings with North Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Stojković and Bosnian Parliamentary Representatives' Chamber of Representatives Vice Chairman Chavala, further solidifying the foundation for high-level interaction. On the 25th, Shandong Provincial Party Committee Deputy Secretary and Governor Zhou Naixiang met with foreign guests to exchange views on trade, culture, and sister cities, sending a positive signal of proactive action and in-depth cooperation at the local level.

A Promising Future

Foreign guests generally expressed that China is a trustworthy and important partner, and they are willing to uphold mutual respect and win-win cooperation, deepen exchanges and cooperation with local governments in China, seize development opportunities, and promote more projects that benefit people's livelihoods. The theme of this conference, "Working Together for a Shared Future," is timely. Local cooperation, as the "capillaries" of China-Central and Eastern European countries cooperation, is subtle yet full of vitality. Shandong, as a major open province, is continuously amplifying the role of its sister city networks, constantly exploring new spaces in areas such as green innovation, connectivity, and cultural exchanges. It is foreseeable that, with the increasingly mature cooperation mechanisms, the local partnership between China and Central and Eastern European countries will inject stronger momentum into regional coordinated development and the building of an open world economy. Editor/Sunyaxin