Xi Jinping continues European tour in Serbia
Chinese President Xi Jinping was received "with respect and love" by his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic in the Serbian capital on Wednesday, a new leg of his European tour that has already taken him to France and will end in Hungary.
China has invested billions of dollars in Serbia and the Balkans, especially in the mining and manufacturing sectors, and Beijing and Belgrade signed a free trade agreement last year.
Accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, Xi Jinping was greeted on Wednesday by Aleksandar Vucic on a red carpet in front of the main government buildings to the sound of the military band.
The two leaders greeted a crowd of several thousand people, some waving Chinese flags, from a balcony, according to footage from Serbian state television RTS.
Vucic welcomed Xi Jinping and called him "a friend of Serbia". "The respect and love you will find here, in our Serbia, you will not find anywhere else," he added.
The Chinese president was greeted by his country's national anthem, before shaking hands with several Serbian officials.
"Yes, Taiwan is China," Vucic told the crowd, a statement in line with China's claim to the island, which it considers part of its territory.
At the start of their bilateral meeting, Xi told Vucic that there was "a strong feeling of friendship" between the two countries.
They then met to sign a joint statement on strengthening their diplomatic relations and attended the presentation of several draft trade agreements, including the purchase of Chinese trains, new air links and increased imports of Serbian goods.
The Chinese president arrived in Belgrade on Tuesday evening after a state visit to France where he was received with pomp by French President Emmanuel Macron and they discussed trade disputes and Beijing-Moscow relations, which the West frowns upon in the context of the war in Ukraine.
In addition to France and Serbia, on his first trip to Europe since 2019, Xi Jinping will visit Hungary.
Serbia and Hungary are considered the most friendly countries with Russia and China on the European continent.
"Fantastic"
Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali told RTS that Wednesday's talks would focus on "a big project", without giving further details.
Xi Jinping's visit to Belgrade coincides with the 25th anniversary of the US bombing of the Chinese embassy, which killed three people on May 7, 1999, as part of a NATO campaign against Serb targets during the Kosovo war.
The US later apologised and claimed that the maps were out of date.
Speaking about the event in an article published on Tuesday in the Serbian daily Politika, Xi Jinping said NATO had "brazenly bombed" the embassy.
"The Chinese people cherish peace, but will never allow the tragedy of history to happen again," he stressed, also extolling the "unfailing friendship" between China and Serbia.
Serbs interviewed by AFP in Belgrade said they welcomed Xi Jinping's arrival.
"I think it's a great thing, this visit by the president of one of the most powerful countries in the world," said Stojan Vidovic, a 67-year-old pensioner.
"It's fantastic for us," said Dijana Radic, 69, who hopes the visit will lead to "something good for both sides".
