Chinese President Xi Jinping's keynote speech at the Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) has been echoed widely by experts and officials.

The idea of equality, mutual respect and consultation and cooperation embodied in the remarks will charter China-CEEC cooperation and ensure a better prospect.

EQUAL PARTNERS

"Making decisions through consultation," Xi said in the speech. "China-CEEC cooperation is based on mutual respect and has no political strings attached. All countries involved, regardless of their size, are equal partners in a cooperation mechanism featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits."

Andrey Shvedov, editor-in-chief of Latvia's Russian-language newspaper Segodnya, said for CEECs, China's reassurance that cooperation will be based on mutual respect without entailing political commitments is especially important.

Xi's promise that all countries involved in the cooperation mechanism are considered equal partners regardless of their size, is especially important to Latvia, which is 750 times smaller than China by population and 150 times smaller by the size of territory, Shvedov said.

Marsela Musabelliu, executive director of Albanian Institute for Globalization Studies, said making decisions through consultation "embodies the very spirit of multilateralism, for which China is a fierce advocate in her every foreign policy endeavor."

"Delivering benefits to all cooperation partners is the basis for win-win cooperation, a pillar of international relations that China has promoted constantly," Musabelliu said, saying "synergy appears to be the keyword in the virtual summit."

17 PLUS 1 MORE THAN 18

"Guided by the conviction that 17 plus 1 could make more than 18, we have set up a multi-dimensional cooperation framework," Xi said, saying "Mindful of each other's concerns, we have drawn up plans and decided on projects based on the national reality of each country, and encouraged all countries to find the best way to leverage their respective strengths in cooperation."

Kostas Gouliamos, the rector of the European University in Nicosia, said, "I also strongly believe the fact that by fostering smart initiatives and implementing a balanced synergy which President Xi has eloquently articulated in his inspirational speech, the joint efforts of the holistic cooperation will yield more results and reach a new level of advanced or smart pilot projects."

Gyula Thurmer, president of the Hungarian Workers' Party, said as President Xi said, China-CEEC cooperation could bring tangible benefits in various fields for both sides, realizing "17 plus 1 could make more than 18."

The summit, which was held at the right time, Thurmer said, could orient the future cooperation in the post-pandemic era, and open a wider space for China-CEEC cooperation.

JOINING HANDS IN FIGHTING PANDEMIC

Xi said China will work with CEECs through solidarity, coordination and cooperation, promising that "China will continue to provide vaccines to countries in need to the best of its capability, and do what it can to make vaccines a global public good and promote their equitable distribution and application around the world."

Jelena Begovic, director of the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering of University of Belgrade, said China's initiative to work together with other countries to fight the pandemic "is a great idea, and I think it's the only way if we want to win this war."

Piotr Gadzinowski, editor-in-chief of the Polish newspaper Trybuna, said that China has joined hands with the CEECs in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, providing each other with much-needed medical supplies, actively cooperating to resume production, and working together to promote economic recovery, which shows the adherence to the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Ivana Antunovic, senior editor of state-owned Croatian Radiotelevision, said cooperation between Europe and China is now needed more than ever. "In the future, greater cooperation in the field of science and research should be achieved, and the experience of China regarding the production of COVID-19 vaccines should be used," he added.