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Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said the Chinese government had always valued progress in Sino-Croatian ties and would work with Croatia to make bilateral relations a model for reciprocal cooperation between countries with different national conditions.
Zhu made the remarks in Beijing Tuesday at a meeting with Goran Granic, deputy prime minister of Croatia, who is here as guest of Chinese State Councilor Wu Yi.
Zhu said in the past 11 years of diplomatic relations, bilateral cooperation had expanded in such fields as politics, economics, culture, science, education and health.
Although China and Croatia were far apart geographically and had differences in population, area, and historical and cultural backgrounds, they understood and trusted each other and had made positive efforts to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, Zhu said.
The smooth development of Sino-Croatian ties proved that countries with different conditions could build sound cooperation as long as they followed the principle of mutual respect, equality and reciprocity, noted Zhu.
Zhu voiced his appreciation for the Croatian government's one-China policy.
Granic expressed his admiration for China's achievements and said the Croatian government valued its friendly and cooperative ties with China, especially economic and trade cooperation.
There was great potential for economic and trade cooperation, and the memorandum of understanding on tourism signed between the two countries would promote the Chinese people's appreciation of Croatia, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 19, 2003)
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