"Chinese President Hu Jintao says developing ties with Croatia and other Balkan nations is an important part of China's policy toward Europe," the Associated Press reported.
The Chinese Xinhua news agency quoted President Hu as saying "that there is potential to be tapped in trade between China and Croatia".
"Hu, who was on a state visit to the southeastern European country, made the remarks when attending a trade seminar with his Croatian counterpart Stjepan Mesic," the Chinese news agency reported.
"Even though China and Croatia are separated by mountains and rivers, the friendship between our two countries can be traced far back," Hu said in an address to the conference of business people from the two countries.
"China and Croatia forged diplomatic relations 17 years ago. Bilateral ties witnessed a rapid growth during the period. Dual-track trade volume was close to 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2008, a record-high figure or 42 folds more than that of 1993. Croatia has become China's largest trading partner in southeastern Europe," the Chinese news agency said.
Even so, "the trade volume was relatively small and thus there is potential to be tapped,"President Hu was quoted as saying.
The German dpa news agency said that "Hu, in his first visit to Croatia since the Balkan country's independence in 1991, was accompanied by 220 leading Chinese business people, who participated in an economic forum with Croatian partners."
"Croatia need Chinese investments and I am sure that China cannot find a better partner than we are in this part of Europe for its investments," Nadan Vidosevic, the head of the Croatian Chamber of the Commerce (HGK) was quoted by the France Presse as saying.