A "China-CEEC Coordination Center for Cultural Cooperation" was opened in North Macedonia. In China, the "China-CEEC training center for young artists" and "China-CEEC Cultural and Creative Industries Exchanges and Cooperation Center" were opened in the southwestern city of Chengdu. China says the initiative is a ‘win–win’ cooperation for the countries involved and the EU. European think tanks have raised the view that China is pursuing an assertive strategy of ‘divide and conquer’ designed to benefit China at Europe's expense."