Xi hails efforts of Serbian steel workers

President Xi Jinping has urged Serbian steel workers who are participants and beneficiaries of China-Serbia cooperation to make greater contributions toward consolidating the friendship between the two countries in a reply to workers at a steel plant in the Serbian city of Smederevo on Monday.

Xi, who is scheduled to pay a state visit to Serbia next week, said in his reply letter that he was glad to learn that the plant has rapidly turned losses into gains after receiving a Chinese investment, with the jobs of more than 5,000 employees being guaranteed and thousands of families enjoying a peaceful and happy life.

Xi had met with the workers in person during his previous state visit to the European country in 2016, when he said that he "deeply felt their support for the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Serbia, and their high expectations for a bright future of the steel plant".

From their letter, Xi said he learned that the plant has taken on a new look and is providing strong support for the development of Smederevo, thanks to the joint efforts of the management teams of both sides and the workers themselves.

The development of the plant, he said, cannot be achieved without the dedication and hard work of the workers, who have been working diligently for the quick growth of the steel plant and have written a new chapter for the iron-clad friendship between China and Serbia.

I give you "the thumbs up", Xi said.

The plant, formerly known as the Smederevo Steelworks, was on the verge of bankruptcy before being purchased by China's Hesteel Group in April 2016, months after China and Serbia signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative in November 2015.

Today, Hesteel Serbia is one of Serbia's biggest exporters. It contributed 1.86 percent to the country's GDP in 2022.

In his reply, Xi said the sound development of the plant is a striking epitome of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia as well as a paradigm of their mutually beneficial cooperation.

It is hoped that the steelworkers, who are participants, witnesses and contributors to and beneficiaries of China-Serbia friendly cooperation, will continue to do their jobs wholeheartedly and dedicate themselves enthusiastically to the operation and development of the steel plant, he said.

Nenad Cvetanovic, who is the head of operation of the hot mill, is one of the 30 representatives of Serbian workers at the plant who wrote a letter to Xi. In the letter, they expounded on the latest development of the plant and its important contribution toward improving the well-being of local residents. They also thanked Xi for showing care for and facilitating the project.

"I got this idea of sending a letter to President Xi with my colleagues in February after I learned that he will come to my country again," he said, adding that the letter was sent to China from Belgrade last month with signatures of colleagues from different departments at the plant.

Then on Monday night, Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming brought them Xi's reply. "That was something amazing for us, especially for me, because I didn't expect that,"Cvetanovic said.

He said that if Xi could visit the plant again, they would share with him all the changes that have taken place over the eight years since the Chinese president's last trip, including equipment renewal and upgrading.

"In particular, the workers are living a much better life and our sense of security has been enhanced after Hesteel Group came here," he said, adding that they believe the future will be even better.

Xinhua contributed to the story.