The Mayor of the City of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, today received the Ambassador of China to Croatia, H.E. Qi Qianjin. The reception was also attended by the director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Miro Drašković.

"We are connected by a very strong bond - the Peljesac Bridge, which was completed on time and is a beautiful symbol of cooperation between our two countries," Mayor Franković said on this occasion.

He also referred to the "China + 16" meeting that was held in 2019, when Dubrovnik hosted the Chinese Prime Minister, but also to the consequences of the pandemic on tourism, given that a significant number of tourists from China were completely absent in the previous three years. In this sense, the mayor emphasized the need for the introduction of direct air lines with Dubrovnik and Zagreb.

Ambassador Qi Qianjin said that life in China is now returning to normal after the pandemic and that he has already discussed the possibility of introducing direct lines with Croatia with the Croatian ambassador to China.

"Dubrovnik and Croatia are very popular in China, and popular films and series were shot here, as well as the football championship which all contributes to the popularity of Croatia,” said the Chinese ambassador, emphasizing that this will be a "golden year" for Chinese tourists, with considering that it is expected that around 150 million Chinese will travel as tourists.

He also highlighted the Peljesac Bridge as a symbol of friendship between the two countries, as well as its importance for Dubrovnik, Peljesac and the islands.

The reception was also attended by the head of the political sector of the Chinese Embassy Zhao Chen and attaché Wu Dongxu.