Chapter One “16+1 Cooperation” Improves the Quality and Efficiency of Bilateral Cooperation between China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries

In the“16+1 Cooperation” framework, the bilateral cooperation is always the foundation. Without 16 relatively good bilateral relations, the“16+1 Cooperation” framework can't work well. Meanwhile, the“16+1 Cooperation” framework also offers a platform for developing relations between China and 16 countries, which enables the two sides to regularly exchange cooperation conceptions, projects or issues to which the two sides both pay attention to realize win-win cooperation. Without this platform, it's hard for the leaders of China and Central and Eastern European countries to meet anually to discuss issues on cooperation. In conclusion, to some extent,“16+1 Cooperation” provides a precious opportunity to promote the development of 16 bilateral relations and plays a role in promoting the improvements and efficiency of bilateral cooperation. Practices have proved that the implementation of the“16+1 Cooperation” has acquired series of achievements in promoting 16 bilateral relations for the latest five years.“16+1 Cooperation” has become the important bond of the Belt and Road Initiative to integrate in the European market, the pilot test of the sub-regional cooperation within China-Europe cooperation and the growth pole of China-EU relations, which has acquired many achievements at early stage in the fields of politics, economics and trade, investment, finance, infrastructure, production capacity, people-to-people exchanges and so on.