On June 7, the third China–CEEC Customs Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue was held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province Mr. Zhang Jiwen, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs (GACC), and Mr. Zheng Shanjie, Deputy Secretary of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Commumist Party of China (CPC) and Secretary of Ningbo Municipal Committee of the CPC, addressed the meeting. Altogether 280 people attended the dialogue including officials from 13 CEE countries, Russia, Ukraine, and representatives from the EU Delegation in China, OIE, FAO, as well as representatives from China’s MFA, National Health Commission, SAMR, China Railway, COFCO and 42 Customs Districts directly under the GACC.

Zhang Jiwen pointed out that along with the implementation of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), the “16+1” framework as an important carrier of the BRI in its integration into the European economy encounters unprecedented opportunities. The dialogue represents a major task of the GACC in the implementation of The Budapest Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries and an important measure to deepen international cooperation in inspection and quarantine.

Zheng Shanjie stated that Zhejiang is a pioneer for implementing the “reform and opening up” policy of China and Ningbo is a pivot for the BRI and gateway connecting China and the CEECs. The success of the meeting will have a positive impact on deepening trade cooperation between China and CEECs. It is expected that the GACC and competent authorities of CEECs will continue to support the open-up economy of Ningbo and the construction of the economic and trade cooperation pilot zone within the “16+1” framework, making Ningbo a model for the cooperation and win-win between China and the CEECs.

In recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between China and the CEECs is increasingly closer. The CEECs are China’s important trading partner and the key area for BRI. As China’s entry-exit supervisory body, the GACC is in charge of the supervision of inbound and outbound vehicles, commodities and goods, taxation, counter-smuggling, and compilation of Customs statistics.

According to the Plan of Government Restructuring of the State Council unveiled in March of 2018 at the first session of the thirteenth National People’s Congress (NPC), the mandate and staff of the entry-exit inspection and quarantine of the former AQSIQ were incorporated to the GACC. Hence, the GACC undertakes the supervision on border health quarantine, entry-exit animal and plant quarantine, import and export commodity inspection, and import and export food safety.

The reorganized GACC is given more duties and tasks with enriched means of supervision, which facilitate more convenient port clearance and more efficient law enforcement. Such a measure will provide “China Solution” for building the supervision and governance system for global entry and exit commodities.

Hosted by GACC and Ningbo municipal people’s government and sponsored by Ningbo Customs District and China-CEEC Expo organizing committee, with the theme of “Better Cooperation for Enhanced Safety and Increased Trade”, the dialogue aims to accelerate imports of food and agricultural products into China and build the platform to expand trade and investment through the improvement of the communication and coordination mechanism. The dialogue is part of China’s efforts to improve the quality and safety standards of agri-food products and contribute to the community of shared interests, shared responsibilities and shared future.

The conference issued the “Common Vision in the 3rd China-CEEC Customs, Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation Dialogue” and the “2018-2020 Action Plan for China-CEEC Customs, Inspection and Quarantine SPS Cooperation” and has reached a number of consensuses on establishing information communication and liaison mechanism and regular meeting and consultation mechanism, optimizing the China-CEEC customs, inspection and quarantine cooperation information network, strengthening standard cooperation and services, and promoting quarantine access and trade flow.

The success of the dialogue ushered in a new chapter of “16+1” customs, inspection and quarantine cooperation. China will further strengthen the cooperation with relevant authorities of CEECs and jointly promote trade flow between China and the CEECs and the countries along the CR-Express railways. China and all relevant countries will jointly build a safe and efficient prevention and control system of regional epidemics for enhanced quality and safety in agri-food sector, making greater contributions to win-win and orderly development of the international trade.