China will continue to seek balanced trade with central and eastern European countries by expanding imports and promoting investment in the region, China's top trade official told his counterparts on Sunday.

"We will encourage Chinese enterprises to import agricultural and animal products, especially food products, from CEE countries, and help them promote their brand recognition in China," said Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng.

"Imports of these products are in line with China's domestic demand," Gao said at the Ministerial Conference of China and Central and Eastern European Countries on Promoting Trade and Economic Cooperation, held in Ningbo.