Press Advisories

23. 3. 201620:16

Prime Minister Sobotka met with Chinese President Xi Jinping

The Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka met today, 29th of March 2016, with the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in Prague’s Liechtenstein Palace. The Prime Minister followed on from the November meeting with the Chinese president, which took place during his visit to the People’s Republic of China in November 2015. The topics of today’s meeting were the development of mutual trade and investment, and the deepening of Czech-Chinese cooperation in the fields of industry, technology, tourism and healthcare. A further subject of the meeting was the developing bilateral cooperation in the framework of the Silk Road initiative.

“Relations between the Czech Republic and China have developed dynamically thanks to the active actions of our government. In the last two years, both the volume of Chinese investment and the number of Chinese tourists have significantly increased. Just last year 285,000 visited in the Czech Republic, which compared to 2014 is an increase of 35 percent. Last year, we managed to open a direct air connection between Prague and Beijing, with another direct connection being added this year from the Czech capital to Shanghai.

Development has also been seen in Czech-Chinese financial cooperation, which is demonstrated by the opening of a branch of one of China’s largest banks, Bank of China, in Prague and a broad representation of major Chinese banks in the delegation of the President of the PRC. These banks are mostly interested in investment and activity in the Czech Republic. Our country is gradually becoming an important Central European transport and financial center for China.

Today we also discussed cooperation between the Czech Republic and China in the framework of the New Silk Road initiative with the Chinese President, in these matters we want to continue to prepare specific bilateral projects and to support Czech exporters in penetrating the Chinese market”, said Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.

The two statesmen also discussed the dialogue on human.

“From the experience of the Czech Republic it follows that one of the basic prerequisites for the harmonious development of any society is respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and their protection. I consider the human rights dialogue between China and the European Union to be a very important and useful instrument for experience sharing and communication on these issues. As the Czech Republic, we are ready to hold a bilateral dialogue on human rights with China”, said Prime Minister Sobotka during the joint meeting.

Together with the Prime Minister, today’s meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Minister for Regional Development Karla Šlechtová, Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek, Minister of Transport Dan Ťok, Health Minister Svatopluk Němeček, Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mládek and the State Secretary for European Affairs Tomáš Prouza.