ZAGREB, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Former Croatian deputy parliament speaker Davorko Vidovic has welcomed China's decision to expand its visa-free policy to Croatia, expressing optimism that it will enhance bilateral cooperation and foster exchanges.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Vidovic said this policy "can create conditions for serious improvement and increasingly better relations on the economic, cultural and political level between the two countries."
Vidovic served as deputy speaker of the Croatian parliament from December 2021 to May 2024, and prior to that, he was minister of labor and social welfare from 2000 to 2003. He has been the president of the Social Democrats, a Croatian center-left political party, since it was founded in 2022.
China announced on Nov. 22 that ordinary passport holders from nine more countries -- Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan -- would enjoy visa-free entry on a one-year trial basis starting Nov. 30. Under this policy, visitors can stay in China without a visa for up to 30 days for purposes such as business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit.
Calling China "a huge, beautiful country with a fantastic history and beautiful landscapes," Vidovic said: "I think that China ... can be a truly top-notch lure and a world-famous destination for Croatians, and as far as I know, there is great interest in visiting China."
Recalling his six visits to China, Vidovic said each time he returned with "incredibly rich new knowledge and experiences with the fascinating development of China in all areas."
During his last visit to China in 2023, Vidovic went to the innovation centers in Hefei, provincial capital of Anhui Province. He was greatly impressed by China's rapid developments in the fields of communications and transportation.
"We had the opportunity to ride a high-speed train from Beijing to Shanghai running at almost 400 km an hour. You cannot see that speed, that progress, anywhere else in the world," he added.
Meanwhile, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Croatia in 2024 is approaching the record of 300,000 in 2019. Through this tourist exchange, there will be "better connections, better ties between the two countries in all areas," he noted.
Vidovic also expects the visa-free policy to significantly facilitate doing business with China and open up the prospect of stronger involvement of business communities, business people and joint investments.
Croatia has "good experiences" in cooperation with Chinese investors, he noted, citing the Chinese-built Senj Wind Farm and the Peljesac Bridge as two examples.
"Croatia and China have enormous opportunities for cooperation: Croatia can be a hub for a whole range of Chinese products, and space is opening up for cooperation in the fields of technology, science, education and culture," he said. ■