Global Times: China and Serbia maintain 'ironclad friendship' with more to come

BEIJING , May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a signed article published in Serbian media on Tuesday that China stands ready to make China-Serbia ironclad friendship deliver more benefits to the two peoples. Serbia is one of the stops of President Xi's ongoing visit to Europe. What is the significance of this visit? Three Serbian scholars shared their views with Global Times.

Bojan Lalic, director of the Belt and Road Institute in Belgrade

Serbia and China are strengthening their ironclad friendship every day, which inseparably binds the industries, universities and cultural heritage of the two nations. Our relationship has stood the test of time only because we understand that these pillars must not be separated. There is no economic progress without education and culture.

Serbia joined the BRI very early. In 2021, the Belt and Road Institute was established by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, University of Novi Sad and Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the aim of in-depth study of the initiative's developments and transforming policies, conclusions and guidelines into actionable measures. Besides major Chinese companies in Serbia, the Chinese Culture Center in Belgrade, Confucius Institutes, and the future China-Serbia Industrial Park, the Institute represents the driver of ecosystem development for Belt and Road Cooperation in the next decade. President Aleksandar Vucic has emphasized on several occasions that the strategic role of cooperation in the BRI for Serbia represents an important catalyst and framework for future development.

Katarina Zakic, head of Regional Centre for Belt and Road, Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade, on these issues

In Serbian we use a term to describe a strong and enduring friendship - we call it "steel friendship." Steel is known for its strength, durability and ability to withstand the test of time. By using this slogan, we are emphasizing the strong relationship between our two countries, one that can endure changing conditions and challenges and is difficult to destroy. Like any friendship, our relationship is built on trust, loyalty and sincerity.

China was a Serbian friend during challenging times in history, and the Serbian people have never forgotten this. The establishments of China-Serbia strategic partnership in 2009 and the comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016 were not sudden events but rather the official signal that China-Serbia relationship is constantly improving and that both sides are committed to the further development of diplomatic relations.

Ivona Ladjevac, Deputy Director at Institute of International Politics and Economics in Belgrade

From the moment of establishing diplomatic relations, both the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later the Republic of Serbia as its successor, paid significant attention to developing their relations with the People's Republic of China. For Serbia, there is no doubt that China is one of the major players in international relations. The two countries developed their relations based on the principles of equality and mutual respect without interfering in each other's internal affairs, which over the decades proved to be a tried and tested recipe for building friendly relations.

A developing China can bring more not only to Serbia and Europe but also to the entire world, due to the rich experience it gained in the process of modernization. China became a model country for all countries that are not satisfied with "one model fits all" solutions.

SOURCE Global Times