Relationship dossier
People's Republic of China
Croatia
Relationship assessment
A constructive partnership with diplomatic engagement and selective economic cooperation
People's Republic of China toward Croatia
+30China has pursued bilateral engagement through the comprehensive partnership with Croatia and China–Central and Eastern European cooperation, and Chinese leaders have conducted high-level visits. Chinese firms have also participated in major Croatian infrastructure projects, including construction of the Pelješac Bridge.
Croatia toward People's Republic of China
+30Croatia has engaged China through the bilateral comprehensive partnership and participation in China–Central and Eastern European cooperation. The Croatian government awarded a Chinese company the contract to build the Pelješac Bridge, a major infrastructure project supported by EU funding.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship combines sustained diplomatic engagement and selective economic cooperation, including participation in a regional cooperation framework and the Pelješac Bridge project. These ties are constructive but do not, on the known facts, amount to an unusually close or comprehensive strategic alignment.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
China and Croatia have maintained a cooperative relationship, including a comprehensive partnership and participation in China–Central and Eastern European cooperation. Their engagement has included high-level visits and economic cooperation, notably the Pelješac Bridge project, built by a Chinese company under a Croatian public contract with EU funding. The relationship is constructive, although its practical scope and depth are more limited than those of close strategic partnerships.
Key developments
China and Croatia established a comprehensive partnership.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Croatia, highlighting bilateral cooperation.
The Pelješac Bridge, built by a Chinese company under a Croatian public contract with EU funding, opened to traffic.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements are unclear.
- The extent of sustained government-to-government cooperation beyond high-level engagement and economic projects is uncertain.