Vice President of the State Council of the PRC, Mr Zhang Gaoli expressed his thanks for LLM/CIF 2014 organization

Bilateral cooperation between the Czech Republic (CR) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been growing since the beginning of this year. LLM/CIF 2014, held at the Prague Castle, intensified and deepen the development of the cooperation on many levels. The most important guest from the PRC was the Vice President of the State Council of the PRC, Mr Zhang Gaoli. This was the most senior visit from the PRC to the CR in the past few years. It was an honour that this happened at the Prague castle within LLM/CIF 2014 and in the year, when we celebrate 65th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral meetings between our countries.

Mr Vice President was the main guest who, together with the Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, has ceremonially opened the Forum and further, with the President of the CR, Mr Miloš Zeman was the most senior person to held the gala dinner. He participated in the gala closing of both events as well as ongoing bilateral meetings.

In the letter sent to the Prime Minister of the CR, Mr Bohuslav Sobotka from 8 September, this important visit expressed appreciation for both events, which is a real honour for the LLM/CIF 2014.

In this letter, Mr Zhang Gaoli says:  “Dear Prime Minister, in the occasion of successful closing of the II Summit of Local Leaders from the PRC and Central and Eastern European Countries, let me express my personal thanks for warm welcome and superb organisation to you and your Government.”

In his letter, Mr Zhang Gaoli also appreciated the establishment of the Association of Governors of Provinces of the People’s Republic of China and Representatives of Regions of Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries, which base will be in Prague. This Association shall serve as a new platform for cooperation not only between China and CEE Countries, but also between the PRC and the CR.

“During this Summit, both countries has been cooperating very closely and negotiated in a big detail the organisation of the Summit. Thanks to the attention and support, this Summit has been successful on many levels, which I highly appreciate,” said the Vice Prime Minister. He also appreciated the honest interest of the Government and the Prime Minister and deepening bilateral cooperation and meetings. He also wrote:  “…I believe that each delegate felt at home while being in Prague at the Summit.”

According to Mr Zhang Gaoli’s statement, Czech-Chinese relations have nowadays new and important opportunities. Therefore Mr Zhang Gaoli hopes that the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of mutual diplomatic relations between both countries will be seen as an advantage and opportunity to strengthen mutual political trust, to invest new energy into pragmatic bilateral cooperation and move relations of both countries to a new level.

During his stay in the Czech Republic, Mr Vice Prime Minister negotiated with the president of the CR, Mr Miloš Zeman and the Prime Minister of the CR, Mr Bohuslav Sobotka not only about the approach to mutual bilateral relations in the near future, but also about Chinese-European relations. Mr President Zeman has also received an invitation from the Chinese president Xi Jinping to official visit of the PRC.

Due to the fact that the regional cooperation is an important drive for cooperation between China and the CEE Countries, during LLM/CIF 2014, Mr Zhang Gaoli announced, that the third meeting of Chinese and CEE regional leaders (LLM) will be held in the Chinese province Hebei in 2016 and the Chinese government will provide all possible support for the organization of this event.

The letter from  Mr Zhang Gaoli you can find HERE.