Beijing/Prague, March 30 (CTK) – The photos of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Czech counterpart Milos Zeman shaking hands after they signed a strategic partnership deal is front-paged by all major Chinese online papers yesterday.
The People’s Daily writes about a crucial alliance forged by Prague and Beijing.
The Global Times stresses the investments of four billion dollars China plans to make in the Czech Republic this year.
The Chinese media ignores the protests against Xi’s visit to Prague.
The People’s Daily, published by the Communist Party of China, carries a large photo of Prague’s Old Town Square on its front page, overlapped with photos from Xi’s talks in Prague.
Global Times writes that the Czech Republic should serve as an example for other European countries in developing relations with Beijing.
The Czech Republic used to be one of the biggest critics of China in Europe. The visit by the president of China is to confirm a major turn in the diplomatic relations, started by President Milos Zeman and his leftist government in 2013, serving as a message to other European countries that they should also adopt a pragmatic attitude to China, Global Times writes.
The Chinese media points out not only a vital improvement in Czech-Chinese relations, but also the two presidents’ close relationship.
Xi noted that he had met Zeman five times over the past five years, adding that they had become good, close friends, the television station CCTV (China Central Television) said.
Like in the past days, CCTV devoted several stories to Czech-Chinese contacts.
It described a “Chinese book fair,” staged in Prague, where large attention was paid to Xi Jinping’s book Governance of China.
CCTV said it was for sale in 16 bookshops in Prague, including Neoluxor, one of the biggest European bookstores.
Another story speaks about the Chinese-Czechoslovak Friendship Farm in the Hebei Province that has a 60-year history.
The Xinhua News Agency also writes about the farm to which former Czechoslovakia donated 600 agricultural machines and sent its experts there.
There is also an article about the main protagonists of the latest cartoon film Little Mole and Panda.
CCTV said this was a metaphor of the growing cultural relations between China and the Czech Republic.
The two animals have become a symbol of their countries. Now they are joining their forces, CCTV writes.
The animated Little Mole (Krtecek) was originally created in the 1950s by the late Czech artist Zdenek Miler (1921-2011). Some 50 short animated films for children featuring this figure have been shot.
The Little Mole, which does not speak, is one of Chinese children’s most popular figures. It will be joined by a panda in the new stories.
