Wu Qiqi sings the Chinese song "Friend" with everyone, and Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo leaves to cooperate | Belt | Wu Qiqi

"I will never forget the days and nights when the two sides worked together to fight against the COVID-19, and the details of our joint construction of roads, railways, power stations and factories. China Serbia cooperation benefits the people and satisfies them." On August 1 local time, Chen Bo, the Chinese ambassador to Serbia, said in his speech at the farewell reception: "Thank the Serbian people for their support for China's development, and China will always be a reliable partner on Serbia's development path.". At the scene, President Wu Qiqi and more than 400 people from all walks of life from both sides attended, singing the Chinese song "Friend" together, creating a friendly and warm atmosphere.

"If you want to be rich, first build roads." This Chinese proverb was learned and applied by Serbian President Vucic. The opening of the Beno section of the Hungarian Serbian railway not only fulfilled the high-speed rail dream of the Serbian people, but also allowed more people to live a "dual city life" with ease. In Serbia, more roads to prosperity are still being built day and night. On these "future roads" leading to a happy life, with the strategic guidance of the heads of state of China and Serbia, the hard work of the builders, and the good expectations of the two peoples, the development blueprint of high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" is slowly spreading.

Abundant achievements, shining new machines

March 19 this year marks the first anniversary of the safe and orderly operation of the Beno Section of the Hungary Serbia Railway. As a key project of the "the Belt and Road" jointly built by China and Central and Eastern European countries, the Beno Section has played a vital role in promoting the development of northern Serbia, deepening mutually beneficial cooperation between Central and Eastern Europe, and building an international trade corridor between China and Europe since its opening and operation one year ago.

Riding at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour on the high-speed rail, people are amazed by the "turtle speed" that used to average only about 40 kilometers per hour.

Liu Yu, President of the Serbian "the Belt and Road" Cultural and Economic Development Association, is a Chinese who has worked and lived in Serbia for more than 20 years. He described the changes brought about by the high-speed railway to the local people to the reporter of the Beijing Daily client: the train operation time in both places has been reduced from more than 90 minutes to about 30 minutes, and the time cost has been greatly reduced, bringing great convenience to the lives of local people; Due to the high speed and frequent train services, many people have started to choose "dual city life"; High speed rail has also driven economic development along the route, and "high-speed rail buildings" have generally seen significant appreciation.

"Not only Serbia, but also neighboring countries such as Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia were in a very backward state of railways. After our technological upgrades, Serbia has become the only country in Southeast Europe with high-speed rail technology, which can be said to be a shining 'transformation'.".

If the railway is unobstructed, the economy will be strong and people's livelihoods will be prosperous. The infrastructure cooperation projects between China and Serbia not only include the Hungary Serbia Railway, but also significant achievements have been made in the construction of major projects such as the Belgrade Ring Road and the Milosh Grand Highway. A series of large-scale investment projects such as Hegang Saigang, Zijin Mining, and Copper Industry have operated well, and the development momentum of cooperation in the field of high-tech is strong. These investments have created thousands of employment opportunities.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the the Belt and Road Initiative. Serbia is one of the first countries to support and actively participate in the joint construction of the the Belt and Road. Wu Qiqi has praised the development of the "the Belt and Road" for Serbia for many times. When he inspected the construction site of a highway contracted by a Chinese enterprise at the beginning of this year, he said: "The construction of infrastructure projects such as highways has changed Serbia's old look."

Driven by the initiative of jointly building the "the Belt and Road", China Serbia relations have flourished, and cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results. It has become a benchmark for mutually beneficial cooperation, a model for jointly building the "the Belt and Road", and a model for China CEE cooperation.

A New Chapter of Collaborative Models

On December 10th last year, at Tianjin Binhai International Airport, flight JU702 carrying approximately 190 passengers successfully landed, marking the official opening of the direct flight route from Belgrade to Tianjin. It is reported that this is Serbia Airlines resuming international passenger regular routes in China after 22 years.

Focusing on the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road", in addition to infrastructure construction, China and Serbia have also made gratifying achievements in economic and trade cooperation, cultural tourism, people to people and cultural exchanges and other fields, which can be regarded as a model of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries.

The growth in the economic and trade fields of the two countries is particularly significant. In 2022, the bilateral trade volume between China and Serbia reached 3.55 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 10.1%. China is the second largest investor in Serbia in the past decade.

It is understood that negotiations on the China Serbia Free Trade Agreement began in April this year. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the first round of negotiations on the China Serbia Free Trade Agreement was held in Serbia in June this year. The Minister of Foreign Trade of Serbia, Tomislav Momirovich, who attended the event in China in June this year, stated that the successful conclusion of the first round of negotiations on the free trade agreement will help further strengthen trade cooperation between the two countries.

Momirovic said, "The free trade agreement between Serbia and China will allow our company to export more to the Chinese market. The annual export volume to China has reached an enviable 1.3 billion US dollars, and Chinese enterprises have invested 4.2 billion euros in the Serbian economy, playing a crucial role in the development and modernization of Serbia's infrastructure and the overall improvement of the economic situation."

Since the proposal of the "the Belt and Road" initiative was put forward ten years ago, 151 countries have joined the initiative, which demonstrates the vitality of the initiative. Boyan Lalic, director of the Serbian "the Belt and Road" Research Institute, said in an interview with the client reporter of Beijing Daily that the "the Belt and Road" initiative shows goodwill and openness to all members and hopes to jointly find the best way for sustainable development. "So we are building roads, but not just roads. Looking ahead, we can achieve more in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and new communication systems. China has advantages in these areas and can support and assist small countries like Serbia in innovative development."

The construction of new roads, the opening of new air routes, and cooperation in new fields will all create more opportunities for China and Serbia, as comprehensive strategic partnerships, and write a new chapter of high-quality regional development for both countries.

A steadfast friendship will last forever

"Iron friends" - this is what the leaders of China and Serbia have called each other on countless occasions. In addition to the long-standing traditional friendship, the two countries have kept watch and helped each other during the COVID-19 epidemic, which has deepened and sublimated the friendship of "iron friends, walk together in wind and rain".

During the COVID-19 epidemic, Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, witnessed China's "timely assistance" under heavy snow. The Chinese government dispatched a team of experts carrying over ten tons of medical supplies to assist Serbia. Vucic waited early on the apron and warmly welcomed the arrival of aid personnel. He then gave a deep kiss on the five-star red flag, tears streaming down his face, and gratefully said, "This kindness will never be forgotten by the Serbs. The only one who has helped us is China."

Serbia was the first country to import Chinese vaccines, and Chinese pharmaceutical institutions provided vaccines at friendly prices when Serbia needed them the most. Considering the importance of medical cooperation, China, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates have decided to launch a tripartite joint project to build the first factory in Serbia to produce Chinese vaccines. This factory is considered a milestone in the cooperation between China and Serbia in the medical field.

In addition to "adversity reveals true friendship", the "iron rod" friendship between China and Serbia is also reflected in Serbia standing up when facing major issues of right and wrong. President Vuchi ć has repeatedly emphasized that Serbia will always support China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Serbia believes that this is the only policy that complies with international legal norms, and any other policy will cause instability and turmoil in the world.

In the view of the Chinese side, the profound traditional friendship between the two countries has been formed in the joint opposition to power politics and bullying, tempered in the struggle to defend independence and sovereignty, and cultivated in mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. It will surely be renewed and strengthened over time.