Prague, March 29 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the development of bilateral trade, investments and cooperation, and also the human rights dialogue in Prague yesterday, the Czech government spokesman Martin Ayrer said in a press release.
Xi, on a three-day visit to the Czech Republic, and Sobotka mainly discussed cooperation in the areas of industry, technologies, tourism and health care.
The respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms, and their protection, are one of the basic preconditions for a harmonic development of any society, Sobotka said at the meeting with Xi Jinping.
He said he considers the human rights dialogue between China and the European Union a very important and useful instrument of sharing experience and of communication on these issues.
In addition, the Czech Republic is ready to conduct a bilateral dialogue on human rights with China, Sobotka said, cited by Ayrer.
Ayrer’s press release does not mention the reaction of Xi Jinping, whose country has been criticised over insufficient observance of human rights.
The Xi-Sobotka meeting also focused on bilateral cooperation within the Silk Road initiative.
In this respect, Prague wants to continue preparing individual projects and support Czech exporters’ entry on the Chinese market, Sobotka said.
He pointed out that both the volume of Chinese investments and Chinese tourists in the Czech Republic has increased in the past two years.
The number of Chinese tourists reached 285,000 last year, which is a 35-percent increase against the preceding year.
This is also a result of the new flight connection between Prague and Beijing, which will be followed by the launch of direct flights between Prague and Shanghai this year, Sobotka said.
Czech-Chinese financial cooperation has also experienced a boom. A branch of the Bank of China has been opened in Prague.
Xi Jinping’s delegation in Prague includes representatives of other significant Chinese banks which are largely interested in launching investments and activities in the Czech Republic, Sobotka said, cited by Ayrer.
As a result, the Czech Republic is gradually becoming a significant Central European transport and financial centre for China,” Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said.
His meeting with Xi Jinping was also attended by Czech Deputy PM Andrej Babis, Regional Development Minister Karla Slechtova, Transport Minister Dan Tok (all ANO), Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek, Health Minister Svatopluk Nemecek, Industry and Trade Minister Jan Mladek and state secretary for European affairs Tomas Prouza (all CSSD).
One of the Czech regions where the Chinese want to invest money is South Moravia. Its governor Michal Hasek signed two documents in Prague yesterday.
One of them is a framework deal between the region and China Development Bank Corporation, which is to earmark 200 million euros for investments in infrastructure in South Moravia.
The other document was signed by Hasek in his capacity as the Czech Wine Growers’ Fund with a Chinese exporter in support of the Czech wine exports to China
