As more and more Central and Eastern European food companies are embracing the Chinese market, some are also seeking deeper cooperation with China.

WARSAW, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Speaking about his visit to Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province last year, Ritch Doci, administrator of Doci Olive Oil from Albania, was excited to share with Xinhua how he was inspired by the immense potential of China's market for organic olive oil.

"For small countries like ours, Chinese market has huge opportunities. Albania has a historical friendship with China, and we see a lot of interests from the Chinese people towards products like ours," Doci said.

Doci Olive Oil has been one of the Central and Eastern European food companies that have hailed the immense potential of Chinese market and seen growing opportunities for cooperation with China at Warsaw Food Expo held from June 9-11.

Enri Karance, general manager of Giotto, a wine and meat distributor in Poland, described his Chinese clients as "very knowledgeable about quality products."

"I have worked with many Chinese friends. They really want the best, and they are willing to pay for the best," Karance said, crediting the discerning Chinese buyers for boosting his confidence to expand into the Chinese market.

According to the Chinese General Administration of Customs, from January to April, China's imports of food products from Central and Eastern European countries reached 700 million yuan (105 million U.S. dollars), representing a year-on-year increase of 13.7 percent.

As more and more Central and Eastern European food companies are embracing the Chinese market, some are also seeking deeper cooperation with China.

"Most of the machines we use to make milk tea at stores come from China." Prezemyslaw Jedlinski, franchise manager of Crazy Bubble, a Polish bubble tea company with over 200 stores across Europe, told Xinhua.

"Chinese machines are easy to use and reasonably priced. We use them from the very beginning, and we will recommend Chinese machines to our future franchisees," Jedlinski said.

Showing a pack of candy that he intends to commission a Chinese factory to produce, Sylwester Kowalski with Polish candy distributor Dan Trade praised Chinese manufacturers as "innovative."

"I believe it is worth establishing a fairly long-term cooperation with Chinese factories. I hope that we will not only produce gummies, but also a portfolio of candy products," Kowalski said.