On October 16, 2026 local time, Croatian President Zoran Milanović met with Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Zagreb.
Milanović asked Wang Yi to convey his sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping. He noted that China has undergone earth-shaking changes in recent decades and achieved remarkable progress in economic and social development. China's peaceful development does not pose a threat to countries around the world, and all parties should view it objectively and rationally. Every country has its own system and philosophy, and no one should point fingers at other countries' development paths and ways of life. Instead, countries should enhance mutual understanding and trust through dialogue and exchanges.
Milanović stated that Croatia and China enjoy a traditional friendship, and cooperation between the two sides in various fields has yielded remarkable results. Croatia attaches great importance to its relations with China and is ready to strengthen exchanges at all levels and advance mutually beneficial cooperation with China. Croatia has long supported China’s foreign policy and fully understands China’s positions and propositions. Croatia firmly upholds the one-China policy and considers Taiwan an inalienable part of China’s territory.
Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping’s cordial greetings to Milanović and praised the President for taking a rational, pragmatic, and friendly view of China’s development and rejuvenation, actively seeking mutual understanding with China, and long dedicating himself to friendly exchanges with China.
Wang Yi said that China is an Eastern country with 5,000 years of civilizational heritage. China’s peaceful DNA determines that it does not seek hegemony through strength, but instead upholds cooperation and mutual benefit with all countries. President Xi Jinping has put forward the lofty goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, believing that all countries should stand together in solidarity and share one fate, jointly safeguarding and building our only home planet.
China advocates building an equal and orderly multipolar world, in which all countries, big and small, are equal, and all should jointly abide by the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Wang Yi stated that China has found a development path suited to its national conditions, supported by its people, and in keeping with the trend of the times. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical process, and China will make the world more peaceful, stable, and prosperous in the future. China’s success is not only its own success but also the success of all Global South countries. China is ready to view its relations with Croatia from a strategic and long-term perspective and, on the basis of the comprehensive cooperative partnership, explore the possibility of further elevating the positioning of bilateral relations.
The two sides exchanged views on China-EU relations. Wang Yi stated that there are no fundamental conflicts of interest between China and the EU, and that the two sides can fully achieve mutual success and common prosperity. The EU side has concerns about China's trade surplus with the EU, but this is the result of market demand and the international division of labor. China and the EU are partners, not rivals; they should cooperate rather than confront each other. The recent outcomes of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism fully demonstrate that as long as both sides continue along the track of dialogue and consultation, they can find mutually beneficial and win-win solutions.
Milanović stated that Croatia, as an EU member state, follows the EU’s common foreign and security policy while also striving to maintain its own independence. Regarding the current differences between the EU and China in the economic and trade field, he agreed with China’s views. He believes that China’s strong competitiveness mainly comes from its efficient and complete mode of production organization. He is confident that the two sides can resolve problems arising in the course of development through communication and dialogue and reach a solution satisfactory to all parties.
After the meeting, Wang Yi presented Milanović with the Croatian-language edition of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China.
During the visit, Wang Yi also met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and held talks with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman.
