NOS News•today, 5:57 PM
Serbia and China have signed an agreement to build a ‘joint future’. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced this at a press conference in Belgrade.
According to the heads of state, the countries will enter into a “deeper, comprehensive and strategic partnership” in the coming years. Vucic and Xi agreed, among other things, that import tariffs on almost all Serbian goods to China will be lifted within five years. It is not clear what exactly the countries have agreed on.
“This is the highest possible form of cooperation between two countries,” Vucic said at the press conference. It is the first European country to sign such an agreement with China.
Warm welcome
Serbia was Xi’s second stop on his first visit to Europe in five years. Earlier this week he visited France. In the Serbian capital Belgrade, the Chinese president was received at the Palace of Serbia. Thousands of Serbs attended the arrival, waving Chinese and Serbian flags.
At the start of the consultations with Vucic, Xi said he had seen with his own eyes “that the Serbian people regard the Chinese people as the best friends. This friendship is a two-way street, it has made a great impression on me.”
Serbia has previously entered into cooperation with China. For example, an economic agreement was concluded with the Asian country in 2016. China has since invested millions in Serbian infrastructure and mining. The countries also signed a trade agreement last year.
More power in Europe
Serbia has been a candidate country for the European Union since 2012. The deals with China go against that candidate membership. The EU has not yet responded to the latest agreement between China and Serbia.
In addition to Serbia, China has also invested heavily in Hungary’s infrastructure and industry. That country is also Xi’s next stop in Europe. Critics fear that China is trying to gain more influence in Europe through countries such as Serbia and Hungary.
