Ion Ștefanovici, CAPDR: “Within the China–CEEC Format, public administration becomes a strategic partner of the private sector through investments that strengthen the real economy”

Visit Journal – Days 3 and 4: Ningbo, May 22–23, 2025

China–CEEC Mayors’ Forum – Local Networks for Global Economic Cooperation

1. General Framework

Over the course of two days, the CAPDR delegation, led by President Ion ȘTEFANOVICI, took part in the China–Central and Eastern Europe Mayors’ Forum, organized in Ningbo by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the Ningbo Municipality. The event brought together representatives from local administrations across dozens of cities in China and multiple Central and Eastern European states.

Thanks to the efforts of the President of the Romanian–Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Nicolae Vasilescu, and the support of Mrs. Viorica Dăncilă, we had the opportunity to hold an official bilateral meeting at the delegation level with Mr. Yang Wanming, President of CPAFFC, the institution organizing the forum. The meeting was substantial, confirming the Chinese side’s openness to developing concrete relations between local public administrations in Romania and China within the framework of the China–CEEC Format.

The forum sessions were held in Zhixing Hall D – Ningbo International Conference Center, and the related events included participation in the China–CEEC Expo, an exhibition space dedicated to the commercial, urban, and cultural projects of participating countries.

2. Forum Structure and Key Topics

Day 3 – May 22, 2025

Official Opening Ceremony – attended by officials from China, Slovakia, Romania, and Poland.

Structured Dialogue in two major thematic sessions:

• Session 1 – “Enhancing Connectivity and Promoting Economic Cooperation” (cities from Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Serbia, Slovakia, and China)
• Session 2 – “Preserving Cultural Heritage and Promoting Exchanges” (Czech Republic, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Guangxi, Henan, and Zhejiang)

Official Announcement: China–CEEC Cities Cooperation Initiative

Day 4 – May 23, 2025

Participation in the China–CEEC Expo, 4th edition, Pavilion C

Networking activities, informal dialogue, and direct contact with local administrations interested in economic partnerships

3. Conclusion

Local administrations have the responsibility to become strategic partners for the private sector through well-directed, predictable public investments anchored in the real needs of the economy.

The Ningbo Forum demonstrated that cities are increasingly engaged in global economic dynamics – not as spectators, but as initiators of local policies with regional impact.

For Moldova, this model of decentralized collaboration is essential. Within the framework of FERM 2025, we will bring this vision into practice: administrations will engage in dialogue alongside the business sector, and projects will be built around a triple pillar – connectivity, heritage, and balance.

Confirmed invitations from public administrations across Central and Eastern Europe, together with the participation of both Chinese and European economic actors, validate the special status of the 19th Edition of the Moldova Regional Economic Forum, which will take place in Vatra Dornei in July 2025. This edition is set to be historic in terms of its complexity and the scale of international cooperation.

All external delegation participants will join an extended regional delegation from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine, comprising over 500 representatives – thus confirming the strategic dimension and the regional-international character of FERM 2025.

Balance – between the public and private sectors, East and West, tradition and future – remains the foundation of any serious undertaking aspiring to relevance and sustainability in the 21st century.