China willing to enhance parliamentary exchanges with Croatia: premier

ZAGREB -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here on Wednesday that China is willing to enhance parliamentary exchanges with Croatia to further consolidate public support for the China-Croatia relationship and promote bilateral cooperation.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic, adding that cooperation between the two countries' legislative bodies is an important component of bilateral relations.

Noting that China and Croatia share a long-term friendship, Li said: "We would like to, on the basis of respecting each other's core interests and major concerns, 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, so as to promote bilateral relations to achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes."

For his part, Jandrokovic said 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.

Croatia firmly supports the one-China principle and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in areas including sports, culture and tourism and enhance exchanges between the two countries' legislative bodies so as to promote the development of bilateral relations, he added.