A Croatian government delegation will travel to China to give a new, important impetus to further co-operation between China and Croatia. On Saturday, the Croatian Investment Forum in Beijing will gather representatives of some of the largest companies from China, but also Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, reports seebiz.eu on October 31, 2018.
Prior to the forum, Prime Minister Plenković will meet with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang on Friday to discuss overall Chinese-Croatian relations, with a special emphasis on economic co-operation, more specifically China’s investments in Croatia.
In addition to Prime Minister Plenković, the delegation will include Transport Minister Oleg Butković, Regional Development Minister Gabrijela Žalac, State Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism Frano Matušić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts Nataša Mikuš Žigman, Zadar County Prefect Božidar Longin and many others.
The next day, the prime minister will attend an investment forum in Beijing where some of the largest Chinese companies will formalise their interest in investing in Croatia. State Construction Engineering Corporation, China Railway, State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited and Fanhua Group are just some of the giant Chinese companies that have expressed interest in investing in Croatia. Many agreements and letters of intent will be signed, which should mark the beginning of a new phase in Chinese-Croatian economic relations.
Infrastructure projects, including the container terminal in Zadar and the modernisation of the Zadar Airport, are some of the most interesting ones. Shipbuilding will be among the most important topics discussed at the investment forum. Chinese interest is good news for Croatian shipbuilding since among ten shipyards with the largest number of new orders, there are four shipyards from China. By ships delivered, half of the world’s largest shipyards are located in China.
Potentially one of the most attractive projects is the establishment of the international monetary settlement centre for renminbi (yuan). Zagreb and Croatia would become one of the most important points of the international money markets, bearing in mind the growing influence of Chinese currency in the international financial networks.
The Croatian investment forum in Beijing has drawn a great deal of media interest and it will be covered by the largest Chinese television and print media, as well as online media.
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