I, Retrospect of Bilateral Political relations

From April 1 to 4, 2002, at the invitation of Croatian Defense Minister Jozo Rados, General Chi Haotian, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, State Councilor and Defense Minister, paid a visit to Croatia. Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, Speaker Zlatko Tomcic, and First Prime Minister Drazen Budisa respectively met with Chi. Chi also held talks with Croatian Defense Minister Jozo Rados.

May 13, 2002 marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of diplomatic relations between China and Croatia. On the day, Chinese President Jiang Zemin and his Croatian counterpart Stjipan Mesic, Chairman Li Peng of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Croatian Speaker Zlatko Tomcic, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan, and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his Croatian counterpart Tonino Picula respectively sent congratulatory telegrams upon the significant event.

From September 1 to 4, 2002, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia Nebojsa Koharovic attended the opening ceremony of Croatian General Consulate in Hong Kong and paid a transit visit to Beijing, Capital of China.

From October 21 to 25, 2002, Croatian Speaker Zlatko Tomcic visited China and met respectively with Chairman Li Peng of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), NPC Vice Chairman Buhe, and Vice Chairman Chi Haotian of the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee.

From November 3 to 8, 2002, Secretary General of Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tat Janakralj- Draganic paid a visit to China and respectively met with Qiao Zonghuai, a member of Chinese Foreign Ministry leadership, and Lu Xinhua, Assistant Foreign Minister.

From November 23 to 26, 2002, Vice Premier Li Lanqing paid an official visit to Croatia at the invitation of his Croatian counterpart Goran Granic. Li respectively met with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, Prime Minister Ivica Racan, and Speaker Zlatko Tomcic. Croatian Vice Prime Minister Goran Granic chaired the talks.

From February 16 to 22, 2003, at the invitation of State Councilor Wu Yi, Croatian Vice Prime Minister Goran Granic visited China and respectively met with Premier Zhu Rongji and Vice Premier Li Lanqing. State Councilor Wu Yi chaired the talks.

On May 15, 2003, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and his Croatian Tonino Picula had a conversation on the phone. Tonino Picula expressed sympathy and condolence over the SARS epidemic in China and inform the Chinese Government of Croatian immediate materials assistances to China.

II, Bilateral Economic and Trade Relations and Economic and Technological Cooperation

From September 14 to 18, 2002, at the invitation of the Organization Committee of the Zagreb Autumn International Exhibition, Zhong Min, Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), paid a visit to Croatia.

On September 18, 2002, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Long Yongtu visited Croatia and respectively met and held talks with Croatian Vice Prime Minister Zlavko Linic, and Economic Minister Ljubo Jurcic.

According to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs of China, the total trade volume between China and Croatia in 2002 was US$118 million, down 19.6 percent from the previous year. Of the total, China's export was US$113 million, down 20.7 percent, and import US5.75 million, up 12.1 percent.

III, Bilateral Exchanges and Cooperation in other fields

From January 15 to 20, 2002, at the invitation of China's Ministry of National Defense, Croatian Minister of Defense Ivan Kozlica visited China and met with General Kui Fulin, Deputy General Chief of Staff of the PLA. Major general Li Donghui, Deputy Director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of Ministry of National Defense chaired the talks.

In May 2002, Croatian brass instrumental quintet visited China to attend the third get-together activity entitled "Met in Beijing''.

In September 2002, the 30-member Chinese opera group paid a visit to Croatia for performance.

From September to October 2002, the Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Arts was held in Croatia.

From October 23 to 31, 2002, the Croatia-China friendship association delegation paid a visit to China. After a visit in Beijing, the delegation also visited Xi'an and Shanghai.

From November 20 to 27, 2002, at the invitation of Commander of the Chinese Air Force Qiao Qingchen, Brigadier general Josip Stimac, Commander of the Croatian Air Force, paid a visit to China and met with Xiong Guangkai, Deputy General Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Commander Qiao chaired the talks.

From November 25 to December 2, 2002, at the invitation of the International Liaison Department, Djurdja Adresic, Vice Chairman of Croatian Social Freedom Party, visited China and respectively met with Vice Chairman Xu Jialu of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), and Head of the International Liaison Department Dai Bingguo. Deputy Head of the department Wang Jiarui chaired the talkes.

In 2002, there was one Chinese teacher teaching in Croatia, and six Croatian students studying in China.