The China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair is slated to be held in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, from June 8 to 12. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair, which will be held in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, from June 8 to 12, is poised to hit new heights after being upgraded to a State-level event, according to a news conference held on June 6.

Over 3,000 overseas government officials, exhibitors and 6,700 purchasers from 22 countries and regions across the world have confirmed their participation, including Germany, France, Austria, Russia and Moldova.

Unlike previous sessions revolving around the cooperation between China and the 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC), also known as the 16+1 initiative, this year's expo welcomed Greece to the friendship circle, making it a 17+1 cooperation.

Greece's entry marks the first Western European country to join the regional cooperation group.

Slovakia and Lithuania will both serve as the guest countries of honor while Jilin in Northeast China will be the guest province of honor. They will display their distinctive products at the 11,000 square-meter industry expo.

A highlight of the expo will be the setting of a Chinese pavilion featuring Yangtze River Delta integration, 5G technology and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, in which Ningbo has played an important part since ancient times.

The expo is expected to facilitate Ningbo's pivotal position in the Belt and Road Initiative, improve its opening up level, and advance bilateral cooperation between the coastal city and CEEC, said an official from Ningbo.

Over the years, Ningbo has made remarkable progress in supporting cooperation between China and the 16 CEEC, becoming an important platform in China when holding CEEC-related events.

Official data shows that in 2018, the bilateral trade volume between Ningbo and the CEEC reached $3.99 billion, an increase of 26.8 percent year-on-year and accounting for 4.5 percent of the country's total.

The city reached agreements on 141 mutual investment projects with the CEEC, more than many other regions in China.

In November 2017, China launched a demonstration zone in Ningbo, the first of its kind in China, to boost economic and trade ties with the CEEC.