The Prime Minister Butkevičius and Vice-Premier Gaoli Zhang discussed the political, economic and trade cooperation, as well as prospects for bilateral investments. Much attention was paid to the partnership China+16, seen as complementary to the development of the bilateral relations and the China-EU strategic dialogue. The Prime Minister put forward a proposal of hosting in Lithuania the next China+16 Leaders' Forum as well as the consortium of universities.
The interlocutors noted the recent upward trend in the cooperation between Lithuania and China, covering a wide range of interests. "China is Lithuania's very important partner in Asia, and we are determined to further develop and deepen the bilateral dialogue, while seeking new opportunities for our businesses, agricultural producers, as well as infrastructure projects", said the Prime Minister, pointing out that Lithuania's exports to China have tripled over nearly three years of office of the current Government. "It reflects our interest in trying to find access for Lithuanian goods to one of the largest markets in the world", said the Head of Government.
The Prime Minister Butkevičius expressed hope that the visit of the highest-ranking official will give impetus to further development of relations, particularly noting the need for cooperation in the field of high technologies, as for example locally produced lasers account for 5 per cent of total Lithuania's exports to China. Both parties underlined the mutual interest of promoting partnerships in the fields of joint research and exchange of best practices.
The Prime Minister asked for a speeded up process as regards the final authorization for the Lithuanian milk and meat exports to China, Lithuania being ready to welcome a Chinese inspector and auditor for the exportable agricultural products.
Another item on the agenda was the cooperation in education and science. In April, Lithuania and China signed an agreement on the recognition of higher education qualifications. This agreement is expected to encourage the mobility of students and increase the transparency of higher education systems.
Much attention was given to China-initiated project "Belt and Road", which is 40 billion dollar-worth fund to finance the economy, particularly focussing on transport infrastructure and regional interconnection projects. According to the Prime Minister, Lithuania could become for China transport hub in Eastern Europe, aided by intermodal terminals, container train Saulė, Šeštokai Express and Viking, as well as Klaipėda Port. The Head of Government invited Chinese businesses to take advantage of the existing infrastructure, adding that investments were always welcome.
"We are pleased to note the ever growing momentum in our cultural cooperation", said the Prime Minister, bringing to the attention the fat of a new office of cultural attaché effective at the Lithuanian Embassy in Beijing as of July 1.
There has been a recent exchange in bilateral opera troupes, as Vilnius hosted the Beijing National Opera troupe tours, while the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre has recently completed the tour in China. Last week, Beijing held the Baltic Film Festival, and China is organising a Chinese Culture Year festival in the Baltic countries.
China's Vice-Premier Mr Zhang Gaoli has extended an invitation to Mr. Algirdas Butkevičius to visit China.
