"As stipulated in the Budapest Outline for China-CEEC Cooperation in November of 2017, Ningbo was chosen to be the host city of the expo for the fourth time," said Liu Changchun, vice mayor of Ningbo at a news conference in Beijing on June 1. Moreover, the outline proposed the establishment of a demonstration zone under the "16+1 cooperation" mechanism in Ningbo as well.

"We feel greatly honored with the trust and support the central government and CEE countries have given to Ningbo," said Liu. She pledged that the city will spare no efforts to organize the expo and build the demonstration zone.