Key role

But China-CEEC cooperation is a key part of China-EU ties, it "helps shape a balanced growth of China-EU ties" and "helps narrow the economic disparities within the EU", the think tank said.

As China works on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and pursues greater connectivity with Europe, "weakening or alienating the EU simply does not serve China's interests", it added.

Nine years after its launch, China-CEEC cooperation has yielded fruitful outcomes and delivered tangible benefits to the people of participating countries, and it is "a useful and important supplement to China-Europe relations", Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on May 24.

Meanwhile, senior diplomat Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, made an official visit to Slovenia and Croatia last week.

China and the EU should "firmly grasp the greater direction" of the evolving China-EU relations at a strategic level and ensure that China-EU relations "continue advancing on the right track", Yang said while meeting with Slovenian President Borut Pahor in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana on Wednesday.

Many CEE countries have voiced their support for stronger China-EU relations as well.

During Yang's visit to Croatia, that nation's leaders said on Thursday that the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism has provided a strong driving force for deepening Croatia-China relations, and Croatia will play an active role in promoting the further growth of EU-China ties.

On Saturday, Polish Foreign Minister Rau said in the talks with Foreign Minister Wang that Poland is willing to promote the healthy development of EU-China ties and cooperation between China and CEE countries.