Under the “Belt and Road Initiative” and “16+1” cooperation framework, China regards Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), a potential driver of European economic growth, as a significant partner and destination for investment. The two sides will step up their cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade, investment, infrastructure construction, finance, energy, tourism, education, agriculture, people-to-people exchange and regional partnerships so as to facilitate mutual exchange and innovation for win-win outcomes.

China’s financial technology (FinTech) is racing on the fast track of development. Many new financial patterns are emerging as new technologies including big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and blockchain evolve at breakneck speed. From payment and lending to insurance and wealth management, FinTech is being widely applied in various scenarios in the financial sector. Alibaba and Tencent, the Chinese companies behind AliPay and WeChat, respectively, are gaining ground in the global arena. Their roaring expansion abroad has drawn much attention worldwide to China’s financial technology.

The world is being transformed by a digital revolution. The internet and big data are driving innovation across a spectrum of industries. It is imperative, therefore, for companies – and countries – to grasp opportunities so as to gain a first-mover advantage in the digital age.