China seeks new agricultural suppliers in Central and Eastern Europe
China is looking to diversify its food suppliers and is inviting the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) to increase their offers of high-quality agriculture goods.
Meat, dairy products, honey and wine are the type of products that will enjoy a real success on the Chinese market, according to a statement made by the General Administration of Customs after prime minister Li Keqiang visit to Sofia, Bulgaria, last week.
"China has to increase agricultural imports due to its large population, limited arable land and the need to protect the environment. Even if there were not a trade war with the US, China would surely promote trade in agricultural products with CEECs", explained Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, for Global Times.
Nevertheless, the 16 states in the area can't replace the importance of the US market. "Agricultural products from CEECs are plentiful, but they cannot replace soybean imports from the US, and CEECs' market is too small to replace the amount of Chinese goods usually sold in the US", mentioned Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China.
The main transportation route for the goods included in the bilateral trade it will be the China-Europe Railway which, for now, it carries many Chinese goods to Europe but often returns to China with few products, as Bai Ming noted. In his opinion, the trains will soon be making the return trip filled with agriculture products.
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