The 2016 "China-CEEC Arts Cooperation Forum" had its grand opening in Beijing Garden Expo in Beijing today. The forum will last to May 13. Some 300 prominent artists and artistic institution representatives from China and 16 CEECs, and diplomatic envoys of some CEECs to China were present.

As the largest arts festival ever hosted jointly by China and CEECs, the event aims to convey the spirit of the Suzhou Guidelines for Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries and Sofia Declaration on Cultural Cooperation of China and Central and Eastern European Countries 2016-2017.

The 16 CEECs include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. It is the largest arts festival ever hosted jointly by China and CEECs.