China News Service, Beijing, October 17. On October 16, local time, Croatian President Milanovic met with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Foreign Minister, in Zagreb.
Milanovic asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping, saying that China has undergone earth-shaking changes in recent decades and has achieved world-renowned achievements in economic and social development. China's peaceful development is not a threat to other countries in the world and should be viewed objectively and rationally by all parties. Each country has its own systems and ideas, and should not dictate other countries' development paths and lifestyles. Instead, they should enhance mutual understanding and trust through dialogue and exchanges.
Milanovic said that Croatia and China have traditional friendship and the two sides have achieved remarkable results in cooperation in various fields. Croatia attaches great importance to its relations with China and is willing to strengthen exchanges with China at all levels and promote mutually beneficial cooperation. I have long paid attention to China's foreign policy and fully understand China's position and propositions. Croatia firmly adheres to the one-China policy and believes that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Milanovic, and expressed his appreciation for Mr. President's rational, pragmatic and friendly approach to China's development and revitalization, his active pursuit of mutual understanding with China, and his long-term commitment to friendly exchanges with China. Wang Yi said that China is a large Eastern country with five thousand years of civilization. China’s peaceful genes determine that we will not seek hegemony when a country becomes strong, but insist on win-win cooperation with other countries. President Xi Jinping put forward the lofty goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, believing that all countries should work together to protect and build the only planet inhabited by mankind. China advocates the establishment of an equal and orderly multipolar world where all countries, large and small, are equal and all countries jointly abide by the basic norms of international relations based on the United Nations Charter.
Wang Yi said that China has found a development path that suits its national conditions, is supported by the people, and conforms to the trend of the times. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process and will promote a more peaceful, stable and prosperous world in the future. China's success is not only its own success, but also the success of all southern countries. China is willing to view its relations with Croatia from a strategic and long-term perspective, and is willing to explore ways to further enhance the positioning of bilateral relations on the basis of a comprehensive cooperative partnership.
The two sides exchanged views on China-EU relations. Wang Yi said that China and Europe have no fundamental conflict of interests and can fully achieve mutual success and common prosperity. The EU is concerned about China's trade surplus with Europe, but this is the result of market demand and international division of labor. China and Europe are partners, not rivals. China and Europe want cooperation, not confrontation. The recent results of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism fully demonstrate that as long as both sides follow the track of dialogue and consultation, they can find mutually beneficial and win-win solutions.
Milanovic said that Croatia is a member of the EU and follows the EU's common foreign and defense policy while also striving to maintain its independence. I agree with China on some of the current differences between Europe and China in the economic and trade field. I think China's strong competitiveness mainly comes from its efficient and complete production organization. It is believed that both parties can solve problems arising from development through communication and dialogue and reach a solution that satisfies all parties.
After the meeting, Wang Yi presented the Croatian version of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" to Milanovic.
During the visit, Wang Yi also met with Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic and held talks with Croatian Foreign Minister Radman. (over)
