Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said China, under the newly elected leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC), will continue to prosper and be a big player in the world arena.

Extending congratulations to the CPC's new leaders, Mesic recently told Xinhua he had been keeping an eye on the just-concluded 18th CPC National Congress.

He noted the congress outlined a development objective of doubling China's 2010 GDP and per capita income by 2020, which he said was both a clear goal and a promise to its people.

The increase in income would boost consumption, thus helping transform the economy, optimize the economic structure and enhance national power, Mesic said.

It was also a good thing for Croatia as a tourist destination.Increasingly affluent Chinese would provide a new potential growth point for Croatian tourism, he said.

Mesic was impressed by China's goal of building an ecological civilization, which was underscored at the CPC congress, saying it was a good thing the Chinese government had seen the danger of the environment continuing to deteriorate and was determined to address pollution at its root.

Mesic noted the 18th congress urged the bridging of the rich-poor gap and the income gap between rural and urban residents, saying the move would contribute to social stability.

Mesic said China had realized huge progress not only in its economy but also in culture, science and technology, education and health care.

Expressing admiration for China's progress, Mesic, who visited the country several times during his presidency, said he was surprised by the country's development during every visit. He said China had chosen the right path, which promised stability and economic development.

To those who had worries and misunderstanding over China's development, Mesic said they did not know the real China, its history and culture, and they did not see China's determination and confidence to pursue peaceful development.

The world knew far less than they should about China and its influence, he said.

In addition, Mesic said the CPC's new generation of leaders would continue to deepen Croatia-China relations, noting the two countries were celebrating the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

He said Croatia and China had always kept friendly exchanges, treated each other equally and shared similar views on global issues, adding Croatia pledged to be China's new partner in the European Union after its accession to the bloc.