BEIJING — The “16+1” mechanism, a platform created in April 2012 by China and 16 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, has injected fresh impetus to cooperation between them.

　　As a new guideline, the Riga Declaration, issued at a China-CEE summit on Nov 5, will open new windows for cooperation.

　　In Riga, Premier Li Keqiang and CEE leaders agreed to enhance pragmatic cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges to unleash each other’s advantages.

　　The leaders reaffirmed their support for the cooperation initiative involving the ports at the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Sea and along the inland waterways.

　　They pointed out that Adriatic-Baltic-Black Sea seaport cooperation would help widen the scope of China-CEE practical cooperation, promote sustainable development in the long run, and contribute to greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and development strategies of CEE countries and the EU’s Trans-European Transport Network.

　　“Adriatic-Baltic-Black Sea seaport cooperation will be a new engine for China-CEE cooperation,” said Liu Zuokui, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Liu also noted that Chinese equipment, European technology and CEE markets combined will be a great model for cooperation between China and CEE countries.

　　On trade and investment, participants in the summit spoke highly of the progress in the ongoing EU-China negotiations over an ambitious and comprehensive investment agreement. They welcomed further trade cooperation through e-commerce platforms.

　　Trade between China and the CEE countries reached $56.2 billion 2015, up 28 percent over 2010. Chinese investment in the 16 CEE countries exceeded $5 billion, while the CEE nations have invested more than $1.2 billion in China.

　　Data also show that the number of China-Europe freight train lines, since its inception in 2011, has increased to 39. On a regular basis, 16 Chinese cities operate the cargo trains to about a dozen European cities.