On the afternoon of July 12, Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, met with a Serbian cadre delegation led by Petar Petković, Member of the Presidium of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and Director of the Office for Kosovo of the Serbian Government.

Yin highlighted the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia. In May of this year, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Serbia, during which he reached an important consensus with President Vučić on building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, opening up a more vibrant chapter in the history of the bilateral relations. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Beijing, as the capital of China, is following a people-centered development path underpinned by sound planning, innovation, high-quality economic growth, cultural prosperity, and green and sustainable growth. As a result, the city has witness historic transformation. 

Given the extensive common interests between the two sides, Beijing is willing to work with Serbia to enhance economic and trade exchanges in accordance with the first batch of six practical steps China will take to support the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. The recent implementation of the China-Serbia free trade agreement has presented an opportunity to facilitate the entry of more high-quality Serbian agricultural products into the Beijing market. Greater efforts will be made to deepen cooperation in sci-tech innovation, including implementing the plan for young Serbian scientists to visit China and strengthening friendly exchanges among researchers, institutions, and technology enterprises. Furthermore, Beijing will foster closer people-to-people exchanges with Serbia, expanding cooperation in education, culture, tourism, arts, and youth, among other areas.

Petković thanked China for its valuable support to Serbia’s economic and social development. He highlighted the enduring ironclad friendship between Serbia and China, and the great pride Serbia feels for being the first European country to build with China a community with a shared future. The Serbian side is ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen exchanges in enhancing party building and national governance, and strengthen pragmatic cooperation with Beijing across various fields such as economy and trade for more tangible outcomes.

Nemanja Starović, Member of the Presidium of the SNS and Minister for Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs; Chen Zhou, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee; and Zhao Lei, Member of the Standing Committee and Secretary General of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, attended the meeting.