Shanghai, May 17 (CTK) – Prague Deputy Mayor Petr Dolinek signed a partnership agreement between the Czech capital and Shanghai, with President Milos Zeman and Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong present, during Zeman’s visit to China on Wednesday.
The Prague Assembly approved it at the end of April.
Besides, Czech and Chinese representatives signed two agreements on healthcare and one on the media on Wednesday.
The visit to Shanghai is the last point in the programme of Zeman’s visit to China that started last Friday, May 12.
After a meeting with the Shanghai mayor, Zeman will have talks with several Chinese firms and take part in a seminar on tourism.
Zeman told Ying Yong that Shanghai played an important role not only because of its high number of inhabitants (24 million), but also as a significant financial centre.
Prague Na Bulovce hospital director Andrea Vrbovska signed a memorandum of cooperation between this hospital and the Huashan University Hospital in Shanghai on Wednesday.
Representatives of the Prague Emergency Service, the Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai and the Home Credit China signed a memorandum of cooperation in air ambulance services.
Besides, Medea Group owner Jaromir Soukup and the Shanghai Media Group company signed a cooperation memorandum.
Prague and Shanghai became partner cities on the basis of a memorandum signed on Wednesday.
“The memorandum primarily mentions cooperation in the sphere of culture, but also in economy, which is very important not only to Prague as a city, but mainly to businesspeople,” Dolinek told CTK.
Prague also signed a cooperation agreement with Beijing last year.
“Shanghai is the economic heart of China and this is why we have been striving for such a partnership with Shanghai as well,” Dolinek said.
The partnership agreement with Beijing stirred up controversies in the past since Prague pledged in the agreement to recognise the One-China Policy. The opposition assembly members as well as other politicians criticised this.
