Zeman to attend China 17+1 summit despite previous statement

President Miloš Zeman will take part in a summit in China next month attended by representatives of Central and Eastern European states, the Czech News Agency reported. Mr. Zeman had said in January that he would not go to Beijing for April’s 17+1 summit, in part because of unfulfilled pledges of Chinese investment in the Czech economy.

The president’s chancellor, Vratislav Mynář, said at that time that Mr. Zeman might reconsider if Chinese representatives were willing to sign deals on specific projects with Czech companies. The news site Seznam Zprávy said Mr. Zeman had been invited to China on a state visit.