ZAGREB, September 28, 2019 – Chinese-Croatian relations have entered the best period in history, Ambassador Xu Erwen said in Zagreb on Friday at a ceremony marking 70 years of the People’s Republic of China.
“Over the past 70 years China was a nation with scars from humiliation,” she said, adding that China, from a country struck by wars in an almost feudal society, had become “the world’s second economy.”
“As regards China-Croatia relations, they have already entered the best period in history,” the ambassador said. “Both our prime ministers said our relations had entered the diamond period,” she added, referring to Chinese PM Li Keqiang’s statement in Zagreb last April.
The ambassador said Chinese-Croatian economic relations had gained momentum and that the “Chinese investment” in the Pelješac bridge had been received very well in Croatia. “Many people are congratulating me on the bridge and appreciate very much this Chinese contribution to Croatia’s prosperity,” she added.
The bridge in southernmost Croatia is being built by the China Bridge and Road Corporation. The EU is co-financing 85% of the construction costs and Croatia the rest.
“We have many more opportunities to develop cooperation, notably in digital economy,” the ambassador said, adding that more than 500,000 Chinese tourists visited Croatia this year.
Many former and incumbent Croatian officials, ambassadors accredited in Croatia, athletes, academicians and others attended the ceremony Xu hosted at Esplanade hotel.
“Today China is very determined to protect its sovereignty, national security and interest,” she told reporters, commenting on the situation in Hong Kong, relations with Taiwan and the status of the Uyghurs.
“The most important job in Hong Kong is to reject the violence and restore the rule of law. Hong Kong is Chinese Hong Kong. We strongly object to foreign meddling in China’s internal matters,” she said.
She said Taiwan, which officially calls itself the Republic of China, was an “inseparable part” of the People’s Republic of China and that there was “only one China in the world.” “We oppose any separatism,” she added.
Xu also commented on the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, where the status of the Uyghurs has come to the attention of the international community and human rights groups which claim that members of that Muslim minority have been imprisoned without trials.
“Xinjiang is a beautiful place which had a lot of terrorism and violence over 20 years that claimed many innocent lives. The Chinese government therefore introduced a series of measures to stop terrorists, including centres that stop people from having terrorist ideas,” she said, calling this measure very effective as “there has been no terrorism over the past three years.”
“Many foreign journalists, international organisations and diplomats have been in Xinjiang and they are very impressed with the prosperity and stability there,” the ambassador said.
More news about relations between Croatia and China can be found in the Politics section.
