The diplomacy of the head of state, the heart is close|The century-old steel mill is a good time for spring
On the banks of the Danube River, outside the office building of HBIS Group's Smederevo Steel Mill in Serbia, the blooming southern European bauhinia flowers gently swayed in the warm spring breeze, enriching the century-old steel mill with rich colors. "Look, I never thought that a steel mill could be so beautiful!" Vladan Mikhailovich, chief operating officer of the steel mill, told reporters.
The slogan "Pride of Serbia" is painted on the exterior wall of the factory, showing the importance of this century-old steel mill in Serbia. At the end of the last century, the operation of steel mills encountered a harsh winter and was on the verge of closure, and later, the cooperation between China and Cyprus to build the "Belt and Road" brought spring to steel mills.
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"Deliver on our promises with sincerity and seriousness"
In the first half of 2016, HBIS Group acquired Smederevo Steel Mill and established HBIS Serbia Co., Ltd.
On June 19 of the same year, President Xi Jinping visited HBIS Group's Smederevo Steel Plant in Serbia. When President Xi Jinping arrived, he was warmly greeted by Serbian President Nikolic and Prime Minister Vučić. Thousands of steel mill workers, their families, and local citizens welcomed them.
The leaders of the two countries visited the steel mill together. In the tall and spacious hot rolling workshop, the machine roars, the hot steam evapirates, and all kinds of rolling steel forgings on the production line roar by from time to time. President Xi Jinping stopped to visit the products from time to time, and boarded the central control room to inquire in detail about the process and understand the production situation. Subsequently, President Xi Jinping, accompanied by the leaders of the Cypriot side, went to the staff canteen to interact with the workers.
Vladan Mikhailovich (fourth from left) with his co-workers at the Smederevo steel plant.
At that time, Mikhailovich accompanied President Xi Jinping on the tour as a guide. "We went to see the hot rolling mill together, I told him about the main technical features of the mill, and then we drank tea together. Nearly 8 years later, Mikhailovich remembers the scene of that day vividly.
"Everyone at the Smederevo steel mill was very excited!" he recalls. President Xi Jinping was very concerned about the work and life of the workers, and asked them about their plans and visions for the future. "I replied, Mr. President, I assure you that we will use all our knowledge, technology, and hard work for the success of the factory project. ”
"We don't need to pat our chests and boast, but we need to fulfill our promises sincerely and seriously. Words must be believed, deeds must be fruitful. We must do what we promise, including introducing advanced technology, opening up a broader market, ensuring local employment, and benefiting people's livelihood. Mikhailovich said that the workers responded with warm applause to President Xi Jinping's remarks.
"These promises have already become a reality. "We have also fulfilled our promise to President Xi to build the steel mill better and better." ”
Today, the century-old steel mill has regained its role as the "pride of Serbia". In October 2023, during the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China, the current Serbian President Vučić proudly said in his speech that steel mills have become the second largest export enterprise in Serbia.
"Coming back from the dead is a success story"
The Smederevo steel mill was founded in 1913. At its peak, the mill contributed 40% of the city's revenue and drove more than 1,600 local suppliers. Many families have worked in steel mills for generations.
At the end of the last century, due to the fierce competition in the international market, coupled with management and other factors, the steel mill was in trouble, and many parties sought a way out. A foreign company took over the mill and was unable to turn it around, selling it back to the Serbian government for one dollar a few years later. Vučić once recalled: "Hope turned into disappointment, and in the end, it was China's partners who brought us real hope." ”
HBIS Group signed an acquisition agreement with the Serbian government in April 2016 to establish HBIS Saigang. Through technological transformation, optimization of management, market expansion and other measures, the company has turned losses into profits in only half a year, and has become a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
This is the production hall of the Smederevo steel plant.
In September 2018, Vučić came to China as the president of Serbia to attend the Summer Davos Forum. In a meeting with President Xi Jinping, Vučić said: "The resurrection of the Smederevo steel mill is a successful model. It is a strong proof that the Belt and Road Initiative has brought employment and economic growth to Serbia. ”
In the hot rolling mill production hall, red-hot steel is transported from one end of the shop to the other on a conveyor belt. In the control room on the second floor, technicians control the production process through monitors and computer software. They told reporters that before HBIS was stationed, many of the company's equipment was outdated and the technological process was backward. Chinese companies have introduced new technologies and equipment to expose workers to modern production processes.
Technicians monitor the production process in the control room of the Smederevo steel plant.
The sintering plant, which was put into operation in 2022, has reduced energy and additional material consumption by renovating existing facilities and building new ones, effectively improving the level of environmental protection. In 2023, the concentration of inhalable particulate matter PM10 in the air in the area of the Smederevo steel mill was lower than the EU standard.
"China is a true friend of Serbia"
On October 17, 2023, President Xi Jinping stressed during his meeting with Vučić that the two sides should jointly build and operate the Hungarian-Serbian Railway, give full play to the economic and social benefits of projects such as HBIS Smederevo Steel Plant, solidly promote cooperation in key areas such as infrastructure construction, and actively explore new growth points for cooperation such as digital economy and scientific and technological innovation.
Southern European redbuds in bloom at the Smederevo steel mill.
The rapid development of HBIS Saigang has injected vitality into the small Danube city where it is located. The factory conscientiously fulfills its social responsibilities, supports the construction of local roads and water supply systems, donates funds for education, and actively participates in various cultural activities in the city.
"China is a true friend of Serbia," said Jovan Bates, the former mayor of Smederevo, who brought the Smederevo steel mill back to life at the city's most difficult time.
Smederevo steel mill painted by local schoolchildren.
At the entrance to the office building of the Smederevo Steel Plant, there is a stack of factory periodicals. The back cover of each issue is a painting of a child of a steel mill or a local elementary school student. In the eyes of the children, the steel mill is full of colors: at the foot of the lush mountain, brightly colored locomotives shuttle through the factory area, spewing out "little hearts"; children hold balloons and stand in front of the school built with the help of the steel mill, their feet are full of flowers; Cypriot and Chinese employees stand side by side, and the national flags of the two countries and the two words "thank you" are lined up together.
The century-old steel mill that has come out of the cold winter is looking forward to the spring when flowers are blooming one after another. Through deepening pragmatic cooperation, the iron-clad friendship between China and Cyprus is also continuing to write more stories full of spring.