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Datum objave:	12.04.2019
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Bridge called model for cooperation

Premier Li Keqiang and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic visited the construction site of the Peljesac Bridge on Thursday. The bridge will connect two parts of the European Union member's territory and is being built by Chinese companies.

Sino-EU talks help pave way for agreement on investment

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201904/11/WS5cae5032a3104842260b57a6.html

Premier Li Keqiang (center), European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (left) and European Council President Donald Tusk participate in a joint news conference after the China-EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday. [Photo/Agencies]

China and the European Union have committed to achieving major progress this year in negotiations for a high-level bilateral investment agreement with a view to concluding the ambitious accord next year, according to a joint statement.

The two sides pledged to widen market access, eliminate discriminatory requirements for foreign investors and establish a balanced investment protection framework, according to a joint statement issued after the China-EU leaders' meeting held in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday.

Premier Li Keqiang, European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker co-chaired the annual meeting and reached consensus on a wide range of issues, including bilateral ties, global challenges and governance.

They committed to building an economic relationship based on openness, nondiscrimination and fair competition, ensuring a level playing field, transparency and mutual benefit, the statement added.

Two-way trade between the EU and China reached more than $682 billion last year. The EU is China's biggest trading partner, and China is the EU's second-largest trading partner.

Li said the common interests of China and the EU far outweigh their differences, and expanding their common interests will help narrow those differences. Li spoke at a joint news conference with Tusk and Juncker after the meeting.

The two sides will continue to strengthen synergies between the EU strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia, the EU's Trans-European Transport Networks and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, the statement said, adding they welcome further exchanges in 5G networks and technological cooperation between their business communities.

During the meeting, the EU and China also reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism. The Chinese and EU leaders also worked on coordinating their positions on regional and international hot spot issues such as the Iran nuclear issue, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the Venezuela situation.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Wednesday that the joint statement reflects the resolve of China and the EU to strengthen their unity and coordination at a time that multilateralism is being challenged. Bernard Dewit, chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said that industrial and trade relations between the EU and China will increase following the meeting, and that China has made great efforts to open its market to European companies.

"China's new Foreign Investment Law, which has just been (approved), will greatly reassure European investors of the commitment of the Chinese government to further protect foreign investments in China," he said.

Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, said in an article published in the People's Daily Overseas Edition on Wednesday that the Chinese and EU leaders' strategic communication on important issues will help foster new areas for bilateral cooperation.

The concerted efforts made by the two sides to cope with the common challenges and develop win-win cooperation will add stability to an increasingly uncertain world, he added.

Hu Yongqi contributed to this story.

Bridge called model for cooperation

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201904/12/WS5cafc92da3104842260b5bc5.html

Li, Croatian PM say project demonstrates potential, benefits of stronger relations Premier Li Keqiang and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic visited the construction site of the Peljesac Bridge on Thursday. The bridge will connect two parts of the European Union member's territory and is being built by Chinese companies.

The leaders spoke highly of the progress made in the bridge's construction, calling it a good example of what can be accomplished with stronger ties between the two countries.

Speaking at a news conference after their visit, Li said the bridge offers peace and security by connecting two places in Croatia that have no land links. Currently, Croatians have to go through two customs clearances in Neum, a town in Croatia's neighboring country Bosnia and Herzegovina, to reach the famous tourist destination of Dubrovnik.

The bridge, when completed, will be beneficial to regional peace and development, as well as to the livelihoods of people living around it, the premier said.

Li called the bridge a landmark project for China's cooperation with the EU and 16 Central and Eastern European countries, using EU financing and standards. Chinese companies competed for the project during fair and transparent bidding and will fulfill all conditions in the contract to make it a good facility that can stand all tests, he said.

It will strengthen logistics, the interaction among Croatian people, and the development of southern Croatia, Li said. "I hope Croatian people will enjoy the convenience the bridge will bring as soon as possible," he added.

Peljesac Bridge, at 2,440 meters in length, will connect the mainland part of Croatia with the nation's Peljesac Peninsula. The structure is estimated to cost 420 million euros ($473 million), 85 percent of which will be paid by the EU.

In April of last year, a combination of Chinese companies signed a contract with the Croatian government to start construction of the first phase of the bridge at a cost of around 280 million euros. The phase is to be completed in three years.

Hu Zhaoming, Chinese ambassador to Croatia, said the bridge is Croatia's biggest infrastructure project and also the largest project Chinese companies have undertaken in the CEE nation.

At the news conference, Plenkovic said Croatia has wanted to build such a bridge for two decades, and Chinese companies and their local partners have demonstrated excellent performance.

"We adhere to the principle of fairness and transparency in the bidding process and the project will promote Croatia's cooperation with China in diverse fields, such as trade and tourism," Plenkovic said.

China, Croatia commit to cement cooperation

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201904/11/WS5caee7e5a3104842260b5aa9.html

Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic in Zagreb, Croatia, April 10, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

ZAGREB - China and Croatia on Wednesday pledged to make concerted efforts to further consolidate their traditional friendship and boost bilateral win-win cooperation in various fields.

In a joint statement issued during Premier Li Keqiang's official visit to the European country, the two sides agreed to expand collaboration within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Li is the first Chinese premier to visit Croatia since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992. He held talks with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, and met with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

DEEPENING FRIENDSHIP

Over the past 27 years, China and Croatia have treated each other with respect and as equals, Li said in a signed article published prior to his visit, during which he would also attend the eighth leaders' meeting of China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs).

The political trust and friendship between the two countries have deepened, bilateral cooperation has yielded fruitful outcomes, and economic and trade ties have grown from strength to strength, added the premier.

During his talks with Plenkovic, Li said China stands ready to work with Croatia to carry on their friendship, explore new dimensions in bilateral relations, and lift mutually beneficial cooperation to a new level.

In her meeting with Li, Grabar-Kitarovic noted that Croatia and China share a profound traditional friendship and amicable bilateral relations, and have broad prospects for cooperation in areas including economy and trade, investment and culture.

Li's visit, she added, has achieved fruitful results and injected new impetus into the development of China-Croatia relations.

In the eyes of Jandrokovic, Li's visit is a trip of friendship and cooperation, and China is Croatia's great partner as well as a friend during the country's development.

China, Li told the speaker, would like to "continuously enlarge the scale of bilateral trade, enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, strengthen mutual learning in areas such as sports, and deepen friendship between the two peoples."