Xi's visit a milestone: Czech politician

Vojtech Filip, Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic [Photo by Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

A senior Czech politician said President Xi Jinping's visit to his country has shown it is recognizing this European country's role in helping boost Sino-EU relationship and build a multi-polar world, which is in the interests of the Czech Republic.

"We believe President Xi's visit is a milestone event in our bilateral relationship dating back 67 years ago and we aim to build a strategic partnership in 21st century, with focus on shaping the multi-polar world," said Vojtech Filip, Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, during an interview with China Daily prior to Xi's visit.

Xi is scheduled to meet Filip and other parliamentary and party leaders in the Czech Republic during his visit from March 28-30 before his departure for the United Sates for World Nuclear Security Summit.

Filip, chairman of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, which is the biggest party of Czech Parliament and has 42,000 members, has met Xi before when he visited China and he is looking forward to exchanging ideas with him.

Filip said Xi is a man of vision, with tremendous knowledge of Europe and world situation and he is sophisticated in communicating with people.

"He is a man with charisma and I think 90 percent of our Czechs like him and are looking forward to his visit," said Filip, adding that his first talk with Xi took place in 2011 at a meeting in Beijing, when Xi was vice-president of China.

"He is confident, visionary and has a lot of ideas."

As to the visit, Filip looks at it as starting point after the two countries forged close relationship in 1950s and Czech was among the first group of countries to recognize New China.

He said that is foundation for the bilateral relationship.

Filip said the Czech President Milos Zeman has started to forge closer relationship after 1990s and especially when he was prime minister. And now, after Zeman was elected as president in 2013, the two sides have accelerated the paces in building closer relationship.

"Obviously, both president and prime minister have taken a closer relationship with China as priority and during previous three years, Czech and China have had important meetings and visits among top leaders. It is important for us," said Filip.

"And we look forward to new dimensions of bilateral relationship announced during Xi's visit. And it will be a new chapter for us."

He said the strategic partnership of both sides will be forged in 21st century, in which multi-polar world is key.

China and European Union are essential parts of this multi-polar world and Czech has shown strong support for China to deepen relationship with EU.

And it is obvious that China has played a responsible and active role in the world and Xi Jinping's Belt and Road initiative has shown China's solutions to offer "economic foundation" of a peaceful world.

He said Xi's visit to Czech is happening 70 years after the end of World War Two. "And it is meaningful to think about how the global powers contribute to the world peace and China has set a constructive example," said Filip.