On August 26, 2026, Ambassador Qi Qianjin met with Mihotić, State Secretary of Croatia's Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure.

Ambassador Qi said that the upcoming launch of the direct Beijing-Zagreb flight will become another milestone in bilateral relations following the Pelješac Bridge, giving a strong boost to China-Croatia cooperation in tourism, aviation and other fields. He expressed the hope that the Croatian side would provide more fair opportunities for Chinese enterprises operating and investing in Croatia, and called on both sides to work together to advance bilateral relations and friendship between the peoples.

Mihotić said that Croatia attaches importance to developing relations with China and is ready to continue deepening mutual cooperation in civil aviation, investment and infrastructure, adding that he hopes to have the opportunity to visit China again on Air China's direct flight.