Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan met in Zagreb Wednesday with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, to boost bilateral ties and economic cooperation.

There are no outstanding issues between Croatia and China, which also support and cooperate with each other in multilateral relations, said Sanader.

Croatia has pursued the one-China policy since its independence in 1991 and it will continue adhering to the policy in the future, he added.

The Croatian government appreciates the active role China has played in international affairs and is willing to enhance its friendly cooperation with China, said the Croatian prime minister.

The Sino-Croatian friendly cooperation has developed smoothly and fruitfully since the two countries forged diplomatic ties 12 year ago, said Zeng, adding that maintaining and developing their cooperation of mutual benefit in all fields conforms to the fundamental interests of both peoples.

China fully respects the Croatian people's efforts to choose a development path suited to its national conditions and is willing to join hands with the Croatian side to further promote Sino-Croatian friendly cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, quality and mutual benefit and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, he said.

On the issue of bilateral trade ties, Zeng said that expanding Sino-Croatian trade and economic cooperation is an important part of their cooperation of mutual benefit.

There is still great potential for the Sino-Croatian economic cooperation despite the rapid increase in their bilateral trade volume in recent years, he noted.

When meeting with his Croatian counterpart Kosor earlier, Zeng put forward a four-point proposal to boost the Sino-Croatian economic cooperation:

l Strengthening exchanges between competent departments and Chambers of Commerce from both sides;

l Encouraging enterprises from the two countries to explore ways of investment;

l Expanding Sino-Croatian cooperation in the hi-tech sector;

l Promoting economic cooperation by local governments from both sides.

Kosor said he fully agrees with Zeng on his proposal and Croatia will make joint efforts with China to implement the plan.

Zeng arrived in Zagreb Wednesday on the last leg of his three-nation tour that has previously taken him to France and Switzerland.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2004)