Serbian President Vučić Arrives in Beijing for Five-Day State Visit, With High-Level Talks and Expanded Cooperation on the Agenda

Beijing. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a five-day state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. His visit, scheduled from May 24 to 28, is expected to further strengthen the “ironclad friendship” between China and Serbia.

President Vučić was welcomed at Beijing International Airport by senior officials of the Chinese government. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping and meet with other top Chinese leaders. The main agenda of the talks is expected to include elevating the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level, expanding economic cooperation, and exploring new dimensions of collaboration in infrastructure, technology, energy and agriculture.

Relations between China and Serbia have deepened significantly in recent years. The two countries established a strategic partnership in 2009, which was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, Serbia has emerged as one of China’s key cooperation partners in Central and Eastern Europe. Chinese companies have made significant investments in Serbia in areas including the steel industry, mining, energy, roads and railway infrastructure.

President Vučić’s visit is expected to further expand economic and trade relations between the two countries, while also opening new avenues of cooperation in health, education, culture and tourism. Both sides are also likely to reaffirm their commitment to continuing mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns in international forums.

On the final day of the visit, the two sides are expected to issue a joint statement and sign various cooperation agreements.