BEIJING, May 5 -- Trade and economic ties between China and Central and Eastern Europe have boomed over the past decade, a senior commerce official said on Friday.

So far, two-way investment between China and Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) has reached nearly 20 billion U.S. dollars, Vice Minister of Commerce Li Fei told a press conference.

China's direct investment in CEECs rose by 148 percent year on year in the first quarter of the year, Li said.

Chinese companies are keen to invest in these regions in areas such as auto parts, home appliances, medicine, logistics, energy and minerals, Li added.

China's trade with CEECs has grown at an average annual rate of 8.1 percent since 2012, with China's imports from these countries rising 9.2 percent year on year on average.

Two-way trade reached 33.3 billion dollars in the first quarter, up 1.6 percent from a year earlier, showing a steady and positive start, the vice minister said.

The number of China-Europe freight trains was 16,000 in 2022, up 9 percent year on year. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and other countries have become important destinations for China-Europe freight trains, he said.

The third China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair will be held in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, from May 16 to 20.