File photo shows Croatian presidential candidate and former Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, accompanied by his wife Sanja Music Milanovic, casts his ballot at a polling station during the second round of the presidential election in Zagreb, capital of Croatia, Jan. 5, 2020. (Sanjin Strukic/Pixsell via Xinhua)

Xi said that he would like to work with Milanovic to deepen the bilateral friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation and make new contributions to China-CEECs cooperation and the development of China-EU relations.

BEIJING, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Zoran Milanovic on his assumption as Croatia's new president.

In his message, Xi said that Croatia and China enjoy strong political mutual trust, fruitful results in joint Belt and Road construction and positive cooperations within the framework of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs).

Noting that Croatia, the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), is China's good friend in the bloc, Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Croatia relations.

Xi said that he would like to work with Milanovic to deepen the bilateral friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation and make new contributions to China-CEECs cooperation and the development of China-EU relations.