China-CEECcooperationmechanism"pragmatic,inclusiveandmutuallybeneficial",saysCroatianscholar_GuangmingOnlineChina-CEECcooperationmechanism"pragmatic,inclusiveandmutuallybeneficial",saysCroatianscholarIvicaBakota,anassistantprofessoratChinaNormalUniversityandco-founderofaZagreb-basedthinktank,CroAsia,highlightsthepivotalroleoftheChina-CEECCooperationMechanism.InavideointerviewwithGuangmingOnline,theCroatianscholardescribeditasa“commonplatform”thatenablesCentralandEasternEuropeancountries“catchupwithcooperationopportunitieswithChina”.BakotaseesthemechanismasawesternextensionoftheBeltandRoadInitiative,tailoredtospecificprofilesofthecountriesandgeneralconditionsoftheregion.“Pragmatismwasfromthebeginning,”henotedthatChina-CEECcooperationfocusesprimarilyoneconomiccooperationwithoutinvolvinganydirectgeopoliticalintentions.“Ithinkit'salsoimportanttoemphasizethatitincorporatesthis,asaChinesesayinggoes,thisQiuTongCunYi,”Bakotafurtherexplained.“Itis,firstofall,amutuallyagreedwaytofocusoneconomicgoalswhilealsoputtingallotherdifferencesaside.”Bakotacommendedtheeffortsmadetosynergizeendeavors,coordinatemaininfrastructureprojects,andfacilitatecooperationamongcountrieswithinthemechanism.HecitedtheongoingBudapest-Belgraderailwaymodernizationasanexemplaryprojectwhichisexpectedtolinkimportanttransportationhubsalongthe“BeltandRoad”.“Itisaprojectthatfitsthemainnationalstrategicdevelopmentandinfrastructureplansofcountriesalongtheroute,andaprojectthatgivesavoicetoalltheseparticipatingcountries,”heemphasized.Furthermore,pragmatismcanalsobeseeninmeasuressuchas“sub-statelevelconnection”,whichhelpaddressvariousasymmetriesexistinginbilateralcooperationbetweenChinaandtheCEEcountries,headded.Despitethegrowingtendenciestowardprotectionismanddecoupling,BakotabelievesthatthedeepeningChina-CEECcooperationwillyieldmorebenefitsforallpartiesinvolvedamidheadwinds.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.