On May 23 local time, Vice Premier Liu Yandong met with President Ivo Josipović of Croatia in Zagreb.

Josipović asked Liu Yandong to convey his best wishes to President Xi Jinping. Quoting the saying of "a friend in need is a friend indeed", Josipović said that when Croatia was hit by severe flood disasters recently, the Chinese side expressed condolences and provided help at the very first time, which reflected the precious traditional friendship between Croatia and China. On May 22, a serious violent terrorist attack took place in Urumchi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. He expressed sincere sympathy and condolences to the victims and the injured as well as their families. The Croatian people stand together with the Chinese people in resolutely fighting against terrorism and safeguarding peace and stability.

Josipović said that Croatia attaches great importance to developing the relations with China, and hopes to enhance the bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, infrastructure, tourism, sports, people-to-people and cultural engagement and other fields. He believed that Liu Yandong's visit will push forward the Croatia–China friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation to a new high.

Liu Yandong conveyed the sincere greetings of President Xi Jinping to President Josipović. Liu Yandong said, China is also a country with natural disasters. We feel vicariously with Croatia for the personnel and property losses caused by the severe flood disasters. We believe that under the leadership of the Croatian government, the people in the disaster-striken areas will soon overcome the disasters and rebuild a beautiful homeland. The serious violent terrorist incident recently took place in Xinjiang of China has proved again that violence and terrorism are common enemies of all mankind, and must be resolutely combated and severely punished. The Chinese government is confident and able to safeguard the safety of people's lives and properties as well as social stability and order.

Liu Yandong said that Croatia's entry into the European Union (EU) brings new opportunities for the development of China-Croatia relations and China-EU relations. China is at a critical phase of the in-depth development of the new-type industrialization, informationization, urbanization and agricultural modernization, which will provide precious opportunities for China and Croatia to deepen bilateral cooperation. China will as always attach importance to developing the China-Croatia comprehensive cooperative partnership, and is willing to work together with Croatia to find the focus for cooperation and the converging point of interests, so as to promote the bilateral friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation for more achievements, benefitting the two peoples.