Serbian President Vučić said he was keen to start a new cooperation with China, and he has taken the trouble to invite 15 times since 2016, and now he has finally gotten his wish.
He expressed his deep gratitude to China for its generous assistance and cooperation.
Despite the distance between China and Serbia, the friendship between the two countries is as strong as a hard core, thanks to the many challenges and trials that both sides have experienced together.
In the past few decades, whether it was the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, the Wenchuan earthquake in China in 2008, the major floods in Serbia in 2014, and the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in 2020, China and Serbia have always stood together to tide over the difficulties.
For Vučić, 2016 was a year of special significance.
In this year, Chinese companies took over the Smederevo steel mill, which was built in 1913.
This proud company, which once contributed 40% of the local revenue, was in trouble at the end of the 90s.
However, the arrival of the Chinese side has brought new hope to the company, which is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Driven by the "Belt and Road" initiative, Hebei Iron and Steel Group settled in Serbia.
Just two years later, the seven-year-old steel mill achieved the feat of producing 1.77 million tonnes per year, the highest in the 105-year history of the plant.
This achievement not only made Vučić feel good, but also injected new vitality into the local economy.
In 2024, Vučić received a letter of thanks from 30 employees of the Smederevo steel plant.
They are grateful to China for their help, because it was China's help that allowed them to save their jobs and revitalize the city and the factory.
This profound friendship and cooperation is not only reflected in economic cooperation, but also in mutual respect and trust between the two sides.
In April 2023, the China-Cyprus FTA was officially launched, and Serbia became the first CEE country to sign a FTA with China in October of the same year.
This move fully demonstrates the high recognition and trust that the two sides have for each other.
In order to show the importance of the Chinese delegation, Vučić even personally revised the state banquet menu three times and prepared to entertain the distinguished guests with a bottle of Serbian wine with special significance.
He plans to personally pour wine for the Chinese side as a sign of respect and friendship.
On both sides of the main road, the Serbian flag and the five-star red flag fluttered in the wind, and welcome slogans could be seen everywhere.
Nearly 20,000 people cheered "China! Serbia! The long-lasting applause shows the longing of the people's hearts and the depth of friendship.
The cooperation between China and Cyprus is not limited to the economic field, but also has in-depth cooperation in infrastructure construction projects such as the Hungarian-Serbian railway.
After the completion of this landmark project of the "Belt and Road", the speed will be increased by 5 times, which will greatly facilitate the travel of local people.
In addition, Jiangsu Lianbo Precision Technology Co., Ltd. has also been put into operation at the Novi Sad plant in Serbia, creating hundreds of local jobs.
During the visit, the two sides signed as many as 28 cooperation documents or reached agreements, which marked a new stage of China-Cyprus cooperation in full bloom.
This is undoubtedly encouraging news for Serbia, which has repeatedly suffered setbacks in its hopes of joining the European Union.
However, Serbia should also be aware that development is the last word.
Only when we become strong can we truly achieve independence, self-determination, development and prosperity.
In the face of pressure from Western countries such as the European Union, Serbia should keep a clear head and a firm position.
While joining the EU may bring some shelter and support, it is more important to rely on your own strength to seek development.
At the same time, Serbia should also cherish its cooperative relations with China and other friendly countries and jointly promote the process of global multilateralism and free trade.