Maintaining a high intensity of bilateral visits at the top level is an important contribution to advancing overall cooperation and strengthening the friendship between the Croatian and Chinese peoples, said the Chinese official, who is also a vice-president of the Central Military Commission.
According to a press release from the Office of Sabor Speaker Bebic, the two officials discussed bilateral political and economic relations and the cooperation between the armed forces of Croatia and China.
They agreed that the relations between their countries were traditionally good and friendly and that there was much room for upgrading their political and economic relations.
Bebic was quoted as saying that Croatia attaches great importance to the development of relations with China in all areas of common interest. Croatia will keep supporting the One-China principle and fully back the territorial integrity and sovereignty of China, Bebic added.
He pointed out possibilities for improving cooperation through the use of Croatia's seaports by Chinese companies and Chinese companies' investments in Croatian infrastructure projects.
Since 2003, the seaport of Rijeka has been connected through the Adriatic China Direct shipping line with the four largest Chinese hub ports: Hong Kong, Chiwan, Xiamen and Ningbo.
The biggest Chinese liner shipping company COSCO has renewed cooperation with this biggest Croatian seaport. The shipping lines' transit time from Rijeka to Chinese ports is approximately 25 days, or five days shorter than the routes from China to northern European ports.
Bebic also spoke about the possibility for the Brodarski Institute, an institution of special interest to Croatia in the field of marine industry, science and technical systems, to transfer its know-how to Chinese marine engineers.