On April 3, Xinhua announced that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will visit Europe to "intensify cooperation between China and European countries and provide new impetus to the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership". Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao said at a press briefing that Li Keqiang's visit, scheduled from April 8 to 12, will take him to Brussels for the 21st China-EU leaders' meeting and Croatia for an official visit and the eighth leaders' meeting of China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). This is the first overseas trip by Li Keqiang this year.