Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) vice president Tomislav Radoš said the restrictions for entering China were one of the forum's key topics, important to both countries' enterprises.
The strict COVID quarantine measures in China are the biggest hurdle to the development of economic relations, he added.
Until now, Chinese companies were mainly interested in investing in transport and logistics, but now they are also interested in energy and auto parts, Radoš said, adding that Croatia's EU membership opens additional possibilities.
Croatian travel agencies are increasingly interested in the Chinese market and the promotion of Croatia as a tourist destination there has intensified, the HGK said.
The visit of Chinese business people to the HGK shows the Chinese side's big readiness to strengthen and promote cooperation with Croatia in doing business and trade, said Chinese Ambassador Qianjin Qi.
Our countries' relations rest on very good economic and political ties as well as trade, whose value is rising fast, he added.
Last year Croatia exported $105.6 million worth of goods to China, mostly sawn wood products ($41.3m), while imports from China amounted to $1.2 billion, mostly electrical machinery ($123m).
According to Croatian National Bank data, China's direct investment in Croatia between 1993 and 2021 totalled €179.5 million, including €60.3 million last year alone. China ranks 25th in terms of direct investment in Croatia.
The forum was attended by over 20 Croatian companies in agriculture, the food industry, consulting services, real estate, tourism, IT and energy. This is the first Chinese-Croatian economic forum to be held since the pandemic. The Chinese delegation's visit was organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.