Croatian Foreign Minister Mr. Gordan Grlić Radman Visits CCG

Transcript: Dr. Gordon Grlić Radman at CCG

On July 22, 2025, ahead of the visits to China by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs H.E. Mr. Gordan Grlić Radman led a delegation to the Beijing headquarters of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG). He took part in an in-depth dialogue with CCG President Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang on the future of Croatia-China cooperation.

The event drew a full house and unprecedented attention, with ambassadors and senior diplomats from 20 countries in attendance, including Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Malta, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. Over a dozen major international and domestic media outlets, along with leading think tank experts, were also present, expressing strong interest and expectations for the prospects of China-Croatia cooperation and the future of China-Europe relations.

At the beginning of the event, CCG President Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang delivered welcome remarks and provided an overview of the occasion. He noted that the dialogue took place at a significant historical moment, underscoring the shared commitment to enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation. Dr. Wang introduced CCG as a leading Chinese think tank with a strong track record of promoting international exchange and collaboration around the world. The event brought together ambassadors, officials, scholars, and media representatives from multiple countries, reflecting broad multilateral interest and support, as well as the positive role of strengthened international dialogue and cooperation.

Following that, H.E. Mr. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, delivered a compelling keynote speech. He offered a profound reflection on Croatia’s development journey, highlighting the country’s pivotal role within the EU and NATO, as well as its unwavering efforts to promote regional stability and strengthen international cooperation. Minister Radman elaborated on Croatia’s strategic priorities in areas such as digital transformation, green development, and education, emphasizing the vast potential for collaboration with Asian countries, particularly China. He also reaffirmed Croatia’s firm support for multilateralism, the advancement of EU-China dialogue, and joint efforts to address global challenges.

During the dialogue session, Henry Huiyao Wang and Minister Radman engaged in an in-depth exchange on China-Croatia and China-EU relations. Wang praised Minister Radman’s keynote speech and emphasized that, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties, both sides should deepen cooperation and dialogue amid the current rise of unilateralism.

Minister Radman shared Croatia’s progress as a member of the EU, NATO, the Schengen Area, and its upcoming accession to the OECD. He underscored the potential for stronger cooperation with China and Central Asian countries, stressing that such collaboration must be grounded in mutual respect and adherence to international rules.

They also exchanged views on regional security, the challenges facing multilateralism, and economic and investment cooperation. Both expressed hope that the upcoming China-EU Summit will yield positive outcomes, foster greater cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and advance trade and investment to jointly address global challenges.

During the Q&A session, the atmosphere was lively as media representatives actively posed questions. Minister Radman emphasized the significance of his visit to China, noting that although it had been delayed due to the pandemic, Croatia has remained committed to deepening cooperation with China. Regarding the prospects for future cooperation between China and Croatia, as well as between China and Central and Eastern European countries, he highlighted the great potential in areas such as trade, energy, and education. On the EU’s adjustment of its “de-risking” strategy toward China, Radman expressed an optimistic outlook, stating that enhanced cooperation serves the interests of both sides and that joint efforts should be made to promote sustainable development.

In his concluding remarks, CCG President Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang emphasized that, given the significant global roles of both China and Europe and their long-standing stable cooperation, there is a pressing need for China and European countries to work together in today’s world. He expressed his sincere gratitude to Minister Radman for his presence, as well as to the distinguished guests, ambassadors, government officials, and media friends for their active participation and valuable exchanges.

The dialogue concluded successfully in a friendly and candid atmosphere.

Guests attending the event also included:

Croatian Delegation: H.E. Mr. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and spouse; H. E. Dario Mihelin, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to China; Ms. Lara Romano, Chief of Cabinet of the Minister; Dr. Tomislav Lendić, authorized to perform the duties of Director General, Directorate-General for Political Affairs; Mr. Ivan Marić, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs; Ms. Mihaela Vasilj Kasabašić, Head of Economic Relations Sector, Directorate-General for Economic Affairs and Development Cooperation; Ms Arna Ferreira, Minister Plenipotentiary at the Croatian Embassy in China; Ms. Ana Jerković, Desk-officer, Department for Economic Bilateral Affairs; Sanja Milinović, First Secretary at the Croatian Embassy.

Ambassadors (in alphabetical order of countries): H.E. Riza Poda, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Republic of Albania; H.E. Frances Galatia Lanitoau Williams, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus; H.E. Hannes Hanso, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia; H.E. Thorir Ibsen, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Republic of Iceland; H.E. Karlis Eihenbaums, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia; H.E. André Haspels, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; H.E. Sashko Nasev, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia; H.E. Vebjørn Dysvik, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway; H.E. Paulo Jorge Nascimento, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Portuguese Republic; H.E. Peter Lizak, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Slovak Republic; H.E. Betanzos Roig, Ambassador, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain.

Diplomatic Representatives (in alphabetical order of countries): Mr. Sasa Kragulj, Minister-Counselor, the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Mr. Arend Wulff, Head of Political Department, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany; Ms. Kimberly Zammit, Deputy Head of Mission, the Embassy of the Republic of Malta; Mr. Piotr Gillert, Chargé d’affaires, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland; Ms. Milanka Stojakovic, Economic Counsellor, the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia; Ms. Bozena Martel, Counsellor, the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia; Ms. Gözde Öztürk, Chargé d’affaires, the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye; Mr. Hugo Jones, First Secretary, the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Experts: Bing Han, Former Deputy Director-General of MOFCOM Department of European Affairs; Former Economic and Commercial Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Croatia and Poland; Dr. Wang Caixiao, Professor of Beijing International Studies University; Former Official at the European Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jian Ye, Chairman of the Guozu Think Tank; Ngoma Mushinda Betao, Researcher at the University of Kinshasa; Victor Gao,Former Official at Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

CCG Representatives: Jinlian Zhen, Vice President, CCG; Wei Zhang, Deputy Secretary General, CCG; Richard Liu, Deputy Secretary General, CCG; Zicheng Wang, Director of  International Communications; Yan Luo, Director of Media and Public Relations, CCG; Veronica Liu, Research Fellow, CCG.

Media: Aipin Huang, Xinhua; Gao Lei, Global Times; He Yuzhe, Xinhua; Huang Han, Douyin Public Affairs Research Institute; Huo Shuaihe, China.org.cn; Jiang Wei, Caijing; Liu Jiahao, Phoenix Television; Liu Qiang, People’s Daily; Liu Simai, Beijing Daily; Shang Yijiang, People’s Daily; Xia Fangting, China.org.cn; Yang Junyi, China Daily; You Yang, CGTN; Zhang Xibei, Caixin; Zhou Lehan, Phoenix Television.

CCG is a leading international think tank in China with extensive global influence. In recent years, CCG has hosted numerous high-level officials from around the world, including H.E. Ms. Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia; H.E. Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey; and Paulo Rangel, Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal.