ZAGREB, 21 July (Hina) – Croatia aims to attract Chinese investment and increase the flow of Chinese goods, while also boosting Croatian exports to China, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said on Monday during his first official visit to China.
Following official visits to Mongolia and the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, Grlić Radman arrived in China ahead of an EU-China summit set for 24 July in Beijing.
The European Union has said the summit aims to highlight the importance the bloc places on a fair and balanced relationship with China.
In the Chinese capital, Grlić Radman met with Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, and conveyed that Croatia supports the further development of EU-China relations.
As an EU and NATO member, Croatia is committed to cooperation with China that delivers tangible results, he said.
Croatia wants to attract Chinese investment and the development of services, and increase the flow of Chinese goods, but at the same time increase the export of Croatian products to the Chinese market, he added.
The Croatian Foreign Ministry earlier posted on XВ that Chinese investments would likely focus on green energy and infrastructure, while Croatian exports would centre on agricultural and high-tech products.
Grlić Radman also expressed satisfaction with the growing number of Chinese tourists visiting Croatia, and both ministers agreed on the importance of establishing a direct flight connection between the two countries.
They also discussed geopolitical issues, with the Croatian minister saying that, as part of his talks with his counterpart from China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, they addressed the importance of stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the equality of Croats as one of its three constituent peoples.
China’s Xinhua news agency reported that Wang emphasised the mutual respect between China and Croatia. Xinhua also noted that Grlić Radman reiterated Croatia’s support for the One China policy, i.e. that Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory.
According to the agency, Grlić Radman underlined that Croatia views China as an indispensable and important trading partner of Europe, and that Zagreb recognises Beijing’s key role in promoting global peace.
