Numerous new contracts were signed, the participants of the 8. Summit meeting in Dubrovnik with China. Hosts Croatia hopes, thanks to Chinese investment is on a upswing for the domestic economy.
China’s Premier Li Keqiang (right) visits the construction site of the Peljesac bridge
What has already been speculated in the run-up was confirmed on Friday in Dubrovnik, officially: the Greeks have joined the Initiative 16+1, from the has become the club’s 17+1. 12 EU member States are in the group, in addition, a further five European countries and China. The Initiative was founded in 2012 to promote business and investment relations between China and the countries of Central, Eastern and South – Eastern Europe.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the summit Meeting in Dubrovnik
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras took part in the summit Meeting in Dubrovnik. The Chinese have for a long time in Greece. You have invested since 2009, over five billion euros, more than in any other country. They are also the main owners of the Greek port of Piraeus.
Most of the money flows to Serbia
For China, the Central and South – Eastern European countries are mainly due to the gigantic infrastructure project “New silk road” is important. Beijing wants to invest in this project, billions in ports, roads, Railways, telecommunications networks and airports. Thus, new economic and trade corridors to Europe, to Africa, to Latin America, but also within Asia.
In the last ten years, China has invested in Eastern Europe, many billions of dollars, partly as loans, partly as a public works contracts. Most of the money has gone to Serbia: more than ten billion dollars. There, Beijing has invested primarily in the steel and armaments industry as well as in infrastructure. Hungary (just under four billion dollars) and Poland (about three billion dollars).
China as the Savior of the Croatian economy?
The hosts of Croatia in this regard is still quite a lot of air to the top, Where the Chinese investments only amount to 0.69 billion dollars. In the Croatian media euphoria reigns in these days during the meeting in Dubrovnik: in addition to the detailed reporting about the menus of state banquets, and the women’s program message also chased a good Economy, the other.
The Peljesac bridge will be built by a Chinese consortium
To build the Peljesac bridge in record time? No Problem for the Chinese. Large investments in the Croatian roads and rails? A done deal. Croatian agricultural products on the Chinese market? Already signed up for. So the Chinese mutate during these days to the long awaited saviors of the ailing local economy.
And the Best is yet to come: the possible rescue of the Croatian shipyard Uljanik, which is practically in front of the insolvency. As the Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List from “government-related source”, seized the Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang himself on Wednesday, at four o’clock in the morning to the listener at the Chinese shipyard, CSIC called. The representatives of CSIC and Uljanik are to meet next week in Zagreb, and if you agree, could CSIC will be the strategic Partner for the ailing shipyard from Pula.
China wants to open further
Parallel to the political summit, an economic forum was held in Dubrovnik, where some 1,000 entrepreneurs from China and Europe took part. In addition to the lucrative shops was taken at the Forum is also an Internet platform, designed to help in the coordination of contacts between small and medium-sized enterprises of the member countries. In China, 90 percent of the companies are even in this category – and every day, are founded in an average of 15,000 new companies.
Bringer of salvation for the Balkans? China’s Premier Li Keqiang
As a few days ago in Brussels, Li Keqiang also announced in Dubrovnik, a greater Opening of the Chinese market for European products and companies. Not to upset the suspicious Brussels, have announced the participants of the summit, the joint agreements in Brussels.
The next summit Meeting of this kind will be held next year in China.