Original scientific paper
Croatian-Chinese Relations in the Light of Croatian Joining the European Union
Ozren Baković
Abstract
The candidate status of the Republic of Croatia for the membership in the European Union and the beginning of the negotiations is the right moment to review the status of Croatian-Chinese relations in order to determine what foreign policy legacy Croatia brings along while entering the community whose foreign policy orientation in all its essential guidelines Croatia will have to adopt. At the same time it is an opportunity to review the history of the Croatian-Chinese relations which will provide the basis on which Croatia’s distinct character within the broader context of the Chinese-European relations can be developed. For a small state, such as Croatia, gaining recognition in a vast and distant Chinese region can be a difficult task. However, it should not be debatable that it is a necessity both for Croatia’s political and economic interests, as well as for many other important fields, including culture, science and education. The Chinese economic growth and the consequent increasing political importance make contemporary China an important player in the world political relations each foreign policy should define its position toward. The Joint Statement on Establishing the Comprehensive Cooperation Partnership between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Croatia signed by Prime Ministers Ivo Sanader and Wen Jiabao on 26 May 2005 in Beijing is taken as a starting point in the analysis of the status of the Croatian-Chinese relations.
Keywords
Croatia; China; Europe; international relations
Hrčak ID:
6568
URI
Publication date:
1.7.2005.
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