Chinese and Croatian premiers signed a joint statement Thursday, promising to establish a " comprehensive cooperative partnership."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) and his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader review the guards of honor on a welcoming ceremony in Beijing on May 26, 2005. Sanader arrived here Thursday morning, starting a five-day official visit to China.

"The announcement of establishing the comprehensive cooperative partnership between China and Croatia means the bilateral relations have entered a new stage," Premier Wen Jiabao told his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader, who is in China for a five-day official visit.

China and Croatia set up diplomatic ties 13 years ago.

"There is no unsolved problems between us and our cooperation in economy, culture, science and technology has achieved great progress," Wen said in an hour-long talk with Sanader.

He said he hoped the two countries continue to improve high- level exchanges and promote non-official relations between the private sectors. This has lead to creating favorable conditions for small and medium-sized companies of the two sides for further economic and trade cooperation.

Chinese premier also expressed appreciation for Croatia's consistent adherence to the one-China policy and its opposition to "Taiwan independence."

Describing China as a "country with important influence in the world," Sanader said Croatia values its relations with China.

He said the joint statement that he signed with Wen is of " great significance." "Croatia will take efforts to boost bilateral political, economic, scientific, cultural and non-official exchanges between our two countries."

Sanader arrived here on Thursday morning with a delegation of Croatian businessmen from oil, steel, banking and food sectors.

He will also visit Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province and Shanghai. This is Sanader's first trip to China since he assumed office of prime minister in December 2003.

Source: Xinhua