“China’s Iron Friend,” Djuric Visits China to Deepen Cooperation

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric will pay an official visit to China from December 19 to 21.

He announced the visit in a post on X, where he wrote about “advancing bilateral relations.”

The visit is at the invitation of CPC Central Committee Political Bureau member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Speaking at a regular press conference on Monday about Djuric’s visit to China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that Serbia is “China’s iron friend.”

“In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Aleksandar Vučić, bilateral relations have achieved rapid growth and historic achievements. Cooperation in areas such as infrastructure, energy, culture, and people-to-people exchanges and education continues to expand, and bilateral relations have been deepened and improved,” the spokesperson said.

“Through this visit, China is willing to work with Serbia to consolidate their iron friendship, strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and advance the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era,” Lin added.

Despite recent warnings from the European Union that Serbia officially claims to want to become a member, Serbia continues to aim to deepen cooperation in various fields with China.

Chinese President Xi visited Serbia in May this year and was warmly welcomed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.

During the visit, Xi and Vučić signed a joint declaration on building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, an upgrade of relations from the comprehensive strategic partnership established in 2016. The agreement makes Serbia the first European country to build such a community with China.

China sees Aleksandar Vučić’s Serbia, as well as Hungary with its authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán, as gateways to the EU.

On October 17, 2023, President Xi met at the Great Hall of the People with Serbian President Vučić, who was in China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Vučić said that he led a large government delegation to China to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which demonstrated “Serbia’s respect and friendship for China and the importance Serbia attaches to China.” Vučić then noted that Serbia-China relations have withstood various tests.

/TheGeopost