FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Aerial shots of Tian'anmen Rostrum, Chinese national emblem, Chinese national flag

Changsha City, Hunan Province, central China - April 19, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ivo Josipovic, former President of Croatia (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"My first visit was to Beijing, to one lawyers' conference. Comparing that time's China and today's China is not easy because the development of China is incredible. I remember Beijing then and Beijing today. It's a big difference and it's a good illustration of how China is doing an excellent job developing itself."

FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
3. Aerial shots of Beijing CBD, traffic
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Aerial shots of buildings, cityscape

Changsha City, Hunan Province, central China - April 19, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ivo Josipovic, former President of Croatia (with reporter asking question) (partially overlaid with shots 6-13/ending with shots 14-16):
"It's not easy to answer."
(Reporter: "Why is that?")
"There are many areas. So let's start with something that I really love -- it's culture. You have excellent, all very old culture. I saw new constantly concert halls. I saw exhibitions, modern museums, excellent singers as well. Also, of course, technique. It's incredible -- artificial intelligence, cars, TVs, all kind of equipment. It's really tremendous. And also cities. Now they are very modern, clean, and technically very equipped, many of them, of course."
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
6. China Media Group reporter Zou Yun asking question

Shanghai, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of cultural booths; foreign visitors enjoying "mini copper art"

Sichuan Province, southwest China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Foreigner experiencing tea culture

China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of foreign visitors enjoying porcelain, museum

FILE: Shanghai, China - 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Concert in progress

FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. People in protective suits working
12. Humanoid robot working
13. Various of production line, auto assembly line
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
14. Aerial shot of cityscape
15. Aerial shots of forests, mountains, wetlands
16. Aerial shots of bridge, traffic on bridge
17. Aerial shot of cityscape, trees
18. Residents dancing at park, national flag of China
19. Tourists visiting lotus

Changsha City, Hunan Province, central China - April 19, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Ivo Josipovic, former President of Croatia (starting with shots 18-19/partially overlaid with shots 21-22/ending with shot 23):
"It's very visible that the standard of people was improved during those years and I think China should be really proud of it. I'm coming back to policy of opening of China. Definitely, China can be equal, not only equal, but in some cases the dominant partner in economic affairs all around the world."

FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
21. Aerial shot of port scene
22. Aerial shots of bridge, cityscape, traffic
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
23. Traffic, Tian'anmen Square
24. Flags, national emblem of China

Former Croatian President Ivo Josipovic has praised China's achievements and said its ongoing opening-up makes it a strong partner for nations worldwide.

In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) on Sunday in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Josipovic said that the dramatic changes he had witnessed firsthand in China's capital serve as a microcosm of the country's remarkable development progress.

"My first visit was to Beijing, to one lawyers' conference. Comparing that time's China and today's China is not easy because the development of China is incredible. I remember Beijing then and Beijing today. It's a big difference and it's a good illustration of how China is doing an excellent job developing itself," he said.

When asked which areas of Chinese society he has been most impressed with, the former Croatian president said he could not possibly choose just one.

"Let's start with something that I really love -- it's culture. You have excellent, all very old culture. I saw new constantly concert halls. I saw exhibitions, modern museums, excellent singers as well. Also, of course, technique. It's incredible -- artificial intelligence, cars, TVs, all kind of equipment. It's really tremendous. And also cities. Now they are very modern, clean, and technically very equipped, many of them, of course," said Josipovic.

He also stressed that China's success in lifting people out of poverty and in opening up its economy to the world are both worthy of recognition.

"It's very visible that the standard of people was improved during those years and I think China should be really proud of it. I'm coming back to policy of opening of China. Definitely, China can be equal, not only equal, but in some cases the dominant partner in economic affairs all around the world," he said.