Chambers of commerce and investment promotional departments between the two countries can also build a platform of mutual exchanges and communication for enterprises, particularly small-and medium-sized enterprises, and provide timely, comprehensive and accurate information for the corporations, Hu said.

Amidst the deepening of the global financial crisis, the Chinese government, along with the international community including the Croatian government, should enhance coordination on macro-economic policy, push forward reforms of the international financial system, and oppose trade and investment protectionism, thus making contributions to the recovery of the world economy, he said.

Mesic also delivered a speech at the seminar.

"Our economic and trade cooperation has constituted an important part of our bilateral ties," Mesic said.

Croatia was in trade deficit with China. "We cannot dramatically and thoroughly change the situation through expanding our export to China immediately," he said.

The Croatian president, however, called for "more confidence, persistence and insight" to gradually reduce the deficit.

"I know that China is interested in investing in Croatia. We must make every effort to promote it as the move is beneficial to both," he said.

Mesic also listed other areas for possible cooperation, "from tourism to agriculture, to technical transfer, and to infrastructural construction."

He spoke highly of the economic stimulus plan adopted by the Chinese government after the outbreak of the financial crisis, saying Croatia "could learn from China's experience."

Croatia is the last leg of Hu's three-nation tour, during which he attended an annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the first summit of BRIC countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India and China, in Russia's Yekaterinburg, and paid state visits to Russia and Slovakia before the Croatia trip.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2009)