Deals lay foundation for Sino-Czech ties

President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of 15 documents on cooperation between Chinese and Czech companies on March 30, the final day of his visit to Prague.

The agreements cover industries including automobiles, nuclear energy, finance, civil aviation and infrastructure construction, and involve major Chinese companies such as Sinohydro Group, SAIC Motor, China Eastern Airlines and China General Nuclear Power Corp.

In a speech during a roundtable meeting with businesspeople and investors, Xi called for closer political and business ties with the Czech Republic.

He quoted the Chinese philosopher Mencius by saying that "genuine friends know each other's hearts and minds" and added, "Through years of communication, our hearts have become closer."

The countries' industries have much to complement each other, providing great potential for cooperation, Xi said, adding that the Czech Republic has advantages in sectors such as auto manufacturing and infrastructure construction.

Czech President Milos Zeman said at the meeting that Chinese investment in his country this year could reach 95 billion koruna ($3.9 billion; 3.5 billion euros).

Gao Hucheng, the Chinese minister of commerce, says more than 200 Chinese businesspeople accompanied Xi on his visit for talks with Czech partners. They reached deals worth more than 6 billion euros ($6.7 billion), covering finance, machinery, e-commerce and tourism. One deal saw China Eastern Airlines agree to start direct flights between Shanghai and Prague.

China has been the Czech Republic's largest trading partner outside the European Union for years, and the Czech Republic is China's second-largest trading partner, after Poland, in Central and Eastern Europe.

At the end of last year, China's investment in the country had surged to $1.6 billion, up from $200 million in 2013.

On March 30, Xi arrived in the US capital Washington for the fourth Nuclear Security Summit, sending a signal of China's firm commitment and constructive approach to safeguarding radioactive materials around the world.

The president, who attended the third summit at The Hague in 2014, was scheduled to address the opening session on April 1 to expound China's nuclear security policy, present its new measures and achievements in the area, and put forth practical proposals on beefing up global nuclear security.

On April 2, Xi is expected to meet with US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit, their first meeting of the year, to promote China-US relations.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn