Foundations of the new convention hall for the China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo are laid in a special ceremony held by the Dongqian Lake in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo by Gong Weilin]

The first China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo has taken an important step for institutionalizing, with the organizing committee deciding to build a convention hall in Ningbo for further collaboration between the two sides in the future.

Foundations of the new convention hall for the China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo were laid in a special ceremony held by the Dongqian Lake in the coastal city of Ningbo, Eastern China's Zhejiang province, on June 8.

As the new convention hall is expected to function as headquarters for the Expo, it is set to become a strong force for cooperation between Ningbo and Central and Eastern Europe countries.

Featuring the architectural style of China's Jiangnan region (south of the Yangtze River), the convention hall will be built near the largest natural freshwater lake in Zhejiang---the Dongqian Lake, a famous scenic spot since the ancient times situated in south Ningbo.

The convention hall is scheduled to open by 2017 to serve as the main venue for annual Expo meetings, exhibitions and negotiations to deepen economic cooperation and cultural exchanges between Ningbo and the CEE countries.

"The construction of the convention hall will facilitate the cooperation and exchanges between Ningbo and CEE countries," said Lu Ziyue, mayor of Ningbo city, who was present at the foundation-laying ceremony. Lu also voiced his hope to make Ningbo the first choice for the CEE countries to invest in and have strong cultural ties.

Meanwhile, on the second day of the China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo, five exhibition halls for the specialty products from some CEE countries, namely from Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Slovakia, formally opened to public at the Ningbo International Convention Center, which are expected to attract more visitors and buyers from China and abroad. The five exhibition halls will remain open even after the China-CEEC Expo officially ends on June 12.

Ningbo is expected to lure more investment and tourism from the CEE countries following the first China-CEEC Investment and Trade Expo, which signifies the ever-increasing relations between the two sides.

By Cai Jingwen and edited by Mevlut Katik