Earlier, President Xi Jinping wrapped up his 3-day visit to Serbia. The Chinese president was welcomed to the ceremony by Minister of Defense Zoran Djordjevic, the Serbian Army chief-of-staff Ljubisa Dikovic and members of the presidential military office, Beta agency reported.
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During his three-day stay, starting Friday, Xi will meet top officials and visit the steel plant at Smederevo, purchased by a Chinese company.
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Serbia will exert epoch-making significance on bilateral ties and begin a new chapter in bilateral friendship, said Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić in a written interview with the People’s Daily.
“Serbia holds an important, strategic position”. Xi ” s visit was “an extraordinary opportunity to build economic ties on already good political relations”, Vucic said.
China’s One Belt, One Road initiative, meant to open new trade links for Chinese firms as the domestic economy slows, envisages a new Silk Road from Western China to Central Asia and on to Europe via the Balkans, a region keen to attract Chinese investment.
Reports said China is eyeing several projects in infrastructure and energy to get its economy running and improve its relations and economic links in Europe.
Serbia could play a significant role in Beijing’s ambitious plan for a new “Silk Road” to boost trade with Europe, Asia and Africa, Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday.
Regarding the “One Belt, One Road” strategy, we have developed an excellent cooperation in the field of infrastructure, where the Chinese companies completed the big bridge over the Danube and are now working on the construction of sections on Corridor 11, Vucic said.
In 2015 bilateral trade was worth Us$1.56 billion (€1.38 billion), more than 90 per cent of which was in favour of China.
China and Serbia have strengthened cooperation in infrastructure and investment in recent years.
Summing up the successful experience in cultivating China-Serbia ties, the statement said it has proved that differences in historical background, social institution, ideology and development model are not necessarily blockages to developing relations between countries.
Besides the Smederevo steel mill, the two countries have worked together on major projects like the Belgrade-Budapest Railway, the Mihajlo Pupin Bridge, the E763 Motorway, and the expansion and upgrading of Kostolac Power Plant. The agreements Saturday envisaged further work on a highway near Belgrade.
China’s Hebei Iron and Steel Group signed a 46 million euro ($52 million) deal in April to buy the loss-making Zelezara Smederevo plant from Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel.
From Serbia, Xi will travel to Poland where he will ink deals on finance, aviation, science and education.
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He will later visit Poland and Uzbekistan, before attending the 16 Meeting of Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on June 23 and 24.
