Czech Republic

Note: This column mainly includes countries along the Belt and Road and countries that have signed cooperation agreements with China on Belt and Road Initiative.

The relations between the People's Republic of China and the Czech Republic continued to grow in 2013.

The two countries maintained exchanges at all levels. In November, Premier Li Keqiang had a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Ji í Rusnok on the sidelines of the Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Bucharest, Romania. Vice Foreign Minister and Head of the Secretariat of Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries Song Tao attended the China Investment Forum in the Czech Republic and called on President Milo Zeman, Prime Minister Ji í Rusnok, Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Kahout and Chairman Bohuslav Sobotka of the Czech Social Democratic Party.

Economic cooperation and trade continued to expand. In May, Vice Chairwoman Huang Danhua of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council visited the Czech Republic; Vice Chairman Wang Shengming of the NPC Legislative Affairs Committee led a delegation of arbitration and mediation legislation of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade to the Czech Republic. In June, Vice Director Xie Xuezhi of the State Administration of Taxation and President Jiang Chaoliang of the Agriculture Bank of China paid visits to the country. In July, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs Sun Yibiao visited the Czech Republic. In September, Vice Chairman Wang Zhaoxing of China Banking Regulatory Commission, Vice Chairman Xie Jingrong of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and President Zheng Hui of the Agricultural Development Bank of China made visits to the Czech Republic. In October, Czech Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade led a delegation to the Western China International Fair in Chengdu.

Exchanges in science, technology, health and culture were deepened. In May, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the Czech Ministry of Health signed the 2013-2016 action plan on cooperation. In June, Minister Li Wei of the Development Research Center of the State Council visited the Czech Republic; Vice Minister Chen Xiaohong of the National Health and Family Planning Commission visited the Czech Republic and attended the first China-Czech Republic Health Forum. In July, Vice Administrator Sun Huashan of the State Administration of Work Safety visited the Czech Republic. In August, President Bai Chunli of the Chinese Academy of Science visited the Czech Republic. In September, Vice Chairman Li Yi of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Vice President Zhou Xisheng of Xinhua News Agency paid visits to the Czech Republic.

Local exchanges were strengthened. In June, Vice Governor Shi Heping of Jiangsu Province visited the Czech Republic. In July, Vice Governor Ni Yuefeng of Fujian Province visited the Czech Republic. In September Vice Governor Xue Heng visited the Czech Republic. In October, Wang Yibin, member of the Standing Committee and Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee of CPC Anhui Provincial Committee visited the Czech Republic. In July, a delegation headed by Moroslav Novak, Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region, attended the Local Leaders' Meeting of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Chongqing. At the end of 2013, the two countries had one pair of sister province/region.

Source: fmprc.gov.cn