Foreign trade representatives pose for a group photo before departure. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

A total of 58 foreign trade representatives from 40 Ningbo-based enterprises boarded a flight to Budapest, Hungary on March 31, to establish business ties in Central and Eastern Europe countries (CEECs). The participating enterprises demonstrate the city's commitment to economic growth in emerging markets.

The delegation will attend the China-Hungary Trade and Investment Matchmaking Conference and visit several enterprises across CEECs. This trip aims to lay the groundwork for the 4th China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair, which will take place in Ningbo this May.

Representing diverse industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and tourism, participants have specific goals. Jin Xiaohu of Zhejiang Biyi Electric Appliance Co Ltd aims to enhance his company's exports to CEECs, while Chai Xuhe from Ningbo Ouyali Import and Export Co Ltd plans to introduce more Hungarian wines to the Chinese market, building on the success of nobel wine sales. Meanwhile, Lu Wenjie, a tourism entrepreneur, aims to explore Hungarian thermal baths and foster collaborative tourism projects.

Trade has flourished since 2018, when Ningbo was designated as China's first demonstration zone for economic and trade cooperation with CEECs, with an average annual growth rate of 17.2 percent.

This year marks the 13th anniversary of the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism. In the first two months of 2025, Ningbo's trade volume with CEECs exceeded 10 billion yuan ($1.37 billion) for the first time in history — a 15.3 percent year-on-year increase.