Broadening of cooperation will consolidate iron-clad friendship between China, Serbia: China Daily editorial

The five-day state visit to China by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, which began on Sunday and which he described as "undoubtedly the most important trip abroad" in his political career, stands as a testament to the two countries' commitment to building the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era and elevating it to a new height.

The iron-clad friendship between China and Serbia is rooted in both historical logic and practical realities. Serbia is China's first free trade partner in Central and Eastern Europe and occupies a special place in China's diplomacy toward Europe. Over the years, the mutual support between the two countries has remained steadfast, their cooperation has grown ever closer, and their exchanges and mutual learning have become increasingly substantive, especially after President Xi Jinping's state visit to Serbia in 2024.

The meeting between Xi and Vucic in Beijing on Monday covered a wide range of issues spanning the historical evolution of relations, development strategies, strategic coordination, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. It underscored the solid foundations and great potential of bilateral relations.

That both leaders emphasized deepening bilateral pragmatic economic, trade and technology cooperation during China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period demonstrates a common understanding that the two countries should further align their development strategies, open up new areas of cooperation and strengthen strategic coordination so as to bring greater tangible benefits to the two peoples while jointly safeguarding international fairness and justice.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of more than 20 cooperation documents on Monday that provide a clear road map and institutional framework for transforming their consensus into concrete platforms, projects and outcomes. This will help advance the mid-term action plan for their Belt and Road cooperation, build more flagship projects and further unlock the potential of the China-Serbia free trade agreement.

Thanks to the free trade agreement, which came into force in 2024, trade between the two countries reached $6.49 billion in 2025, up 13 percent year-on-year. Serbian products are gaining broader access to the Chinese market, while Chinese investment continues to support Serbia's industrial modernization and infrastructure development.

China-Serbia cooperation is no longer confined to traditional areas such as transport and energy infrastructure. The two countries are looking to cultivate new growth drivers and expand cooperation into emerging frontiers, including advanced manufacturing, green energy, the digital economy and artificial intelligence. That will be conducive to injecting fresh vitality into bilateral collaboration.

Exchanges in various fields have further strengthened the friendship between the two peoples fostering mutual understanding and reciprocal public goodwill.

Xi called on both countries to leverage visa exemption policies, the free trade agreement and direct flights to expand all-round cooperation in culture, education, sports, tourism and sub-national exchanges.

On Monday, the two sides also issued a joint statement on continuously promoting the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era and a joint statement on jointly promoting the implementation of the four global initiatives put forward by Xi.

This reflects the resilience and forward-looking nature of bilateral relations. As iron-clad friends, close economic and trade partners and defenders of world peace, China and Serbia share similar positions on many major international and regional issues. In the face of growing global instability and uncertainty, the two countries should strengthen their coordination and cooperation within the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and promote universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

China-Serbia ties demonstrate that countries with different histories, cultures and social systems can respect each other's sovereignty and independently chosen development paths while pursuing common prosperity together. China stands ready to work hand in hand with Serbia to translate their shared aspirations into concrete progress and make the China-Serbia community with a shared future shine even more brightly in the new era.