A yachting event was held in the eastern city of Ningbo to boost sports exchanges between China and central and eastern European countries. Wu Bin has more.

Yachting or recreational sailing is a relatively new sport in China. And Ningbo's vast natural resources make it an excellent place for it.

In a bid to boost exchanges through this trendy sport, a regatta was held between China and central and eastern Europe.

WU BIN Ningbo, Zhejiang Province "Behind me is Dongqian Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the province. It's now become an ideal place to receive sailors from home and abroad."

Twenty-two teams, over 200 professional sailors gathered in Ningbo and will compete in the following two days.

To help sailor athletes get used to the winds and waters, the president of the Chinese Yachting Association led the teams for a sail before competition.

ZHANG XIAODONG President, Chinese Yachting Association "Today's wind is perfect. I'm happy that our athletes could compete in such good wind."

As the first such competition between China and the participating nations, the competition also serves as a platform for Ningbo to strengthen ties with its sister cities in central and eastern Europe.

ANTE SIMONIC Former Croatian deputy Prime Minister "From this perspective, I judge this as excellent event. Congratulations to dear friends in China. I wish not only this event, but all the event you're organizing. I'm sure a lot of that will be successful."

The competition only has a small number of foreign competitors in its inaugural year, but the CYA president noted that this is a good start because it often takes years for a sporting event to become well-known.

ZHANG XIAODONG President, Chinese Yachting Association "After this year's competition, I believe next year, more foreign athletes will come to compete, and more people, especially in Central and Eastern Europe will know about the event."

Wu Bin, CGTN, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.