KARPACZ, Poland, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- As Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries look for new drivers of growth, China's technological advances and investment are helping the region move into more innovative and higher-value-added industries, participants at an economic forum in Poland said.
The 35th Economic Forum, held from Tuesday to Thursday in the southwestern Polish town of Karpacz, featured more than 500 events spanning the economy, artificial intelligence and sustainable development. The potential for economic and technological cooperation between China and CEE countries was widely discussed at the forum.
A NEW GROWTH MODEL
According to the 2026 SGH Warsaw School of Economics and Economic Forum Report unveiled at the opening of the forum, the 11 CEE countries covered by the study grew by an average of 3 percent a year between 2005 and 2025, making the region one of Europe's fastest-growing.
The strong performance has helped strengthen the region's position in the European economy. For decades, growth in major CEE economies was supported by low labor costs and integration into European manufacturing supply chains. That model, however, is becoming increasingly constrained as working-age populations shrink and labor markets tighten.
Geopolitical tensions, high energy costs and growing uncertainty over global trade have added to the pressure, making it increasingly important for CEE economies to strengthen their technological and industrial capabilities and move into higher-value-added activities.
"Autonomy should not mean isolation," said Janusz Piechocinski, a former Polish deputy prime minister and economy minister, at the forum. Citing Poland as an example, he stressed that CEE countries should maintain strong ties within Europe while developing pragmatic economic relations with a broad range of international partners.
CHINA OFFERS FRESH IMPETUS
China has established a considerable lead in certain fields, said Zbigniew Inglot, chairman of the supervisory board of Polish cosmetics company INGLOT, at the forum.
Participants highlighted China's advances in electric vehicles and artificial intelligence, as well as its growing strengths in renewable energy, batteries, industrial equipment and telecommunications. They identified many of these fields as promising areas for deeper cooperation between China and CEE countries.
China-CEE innovation cooperation has already gained strong momentum. At the ongoing 2026 China-CEEC Conference on Innovation Cooperation, which opened Wednesday in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, 11 agreements were signed on collaboration among enterprises, universities and research institutions and on the joint development of innovation platforms.
The cooperation is also taking shape through investment and industrial projects across the region. In May 2025, Chinese automaker BYD announced plans to establish its European headquarters and a research and development center in Budapest, with research programs focusing on AI-based driving technology and electric vehicle powertrains.
In May this year, several Chinese companies signed commercial contracts with Serbia that are expected to bring the country more than 953 million euros (1.11 billion U.S. dollars) in new investment, with projects covering the automotive industry, high technology and advanced manufacturing. In late August, a China-Serbia humanoid robot assembly facility opened in Sabac, with full-scale production planned for 2027.
"China plays a vital role in Europe and the world," said Pierre Andrieu, a senior fellow of the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis, calling for new forms of economic and industrial cooperation.
Jaroslaw Witkowski, a professor at Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, also highlighted the importance of talent development in deepening cooperation, expressing hope that more researchers, managers and economists would contribute to practical collaboration.
