Zagreb hosts Croatia-China Business Forum

ZAGREB, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Over 40 company representatives attended the Croatia-China Business Forum held here on Friday, the first in three years.

Addressing the event, Tomislav Rados, vice president of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, stressed the importance of bilateral economic cooperation and trade between Croatia and China.

"For many years now, Chinese investors have shown interest in investing in Croatia," he said. "They have invested in the logistics and transport sector and have recognized Croatia's geo-strategic position."

Rados recalled examples of successful cooperation between the two countries, including the Peljesac Bridge and the Senj Wind Farm.

"Face-to-face contact is crucial in establishing a solid business partnership. I hope that all travel activities between the two countries will return to their usual pace soon," Rados said, reiterating the chamber's determination to make the bilateral cooperation even stronger.

Zhang Shaogang, vice chair of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and head of the Chinese delegation, said he hoped that the company representatives from both countries would use the forum to increase in-depth communication and strengthen understanding between the two sides to achieve concrete results.

This was the first Chinese delegation to visit Croatia in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic. The visit demonstrates the "strong willingness from the Chinese side to promote and strengthen coordination and cooperation with Croatia in terms of trade and business," Chinese Ambassador to Croatia Qi Qianjin told Xinhua.

Against the backdrop of good and stable political ties, bilateral trade between China and Croatia has been increasing rapidly, even despite the pandemic, Qi said. The volume of bilateral trade in 2021 exceeded 2 billion U.S. dollars, a 60-time increase over the volume recorded when the two countries established diplomatic ties 30 years ago.