Thewesternbalkans
Chinese President Xi Jinping will be on an official visit to Serbia on May 7-8 and will be hosted by President Aleksandar Vučić.
Xi last visited Serbia in 2016 on what was the first trip to the country by a Chinese president in 32 years.
Vučić and Xi met during a Belt and Road Forum in Beijing last October, when Serbia and China signed a free trade agreement.
Announcing Xi’s visit, Vucic said the Chinese president was one of the most significant world leaders and a sincere friend of Serbia the country wanted to welcome in the best atmosphere and in the most beautiful possible way.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will also visit France and Hungary from May 5 to May 10, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry announced.
Comment: Serbia is the country from the WB region that has the most developed cooperation with China and their economic relations has grown tremendously over the past ten years. Аccording to official data of the Мinistry of Domestic and Foreign Trade of Serbia, China invested almost 5.1 billion euros in the country between 2014 and 2023.
In 2023, Serbia attracted 4.5 billion euros of foreign investments, including 1.37 billion from China, or 30 %, making it the leading investor.
Analyzing by country, if Germany remains the leading exporter in Serbia (4.8 billion euros), China takes second place, with 4.6 billion euros last year.
In regard to export – Serbia exported 1.1 billion euros to China in 2023 compared to barely six million in 2012.
Another reason for the visit is Italy’s decision to withdraw – after some hesitation – from China’s New Silk Road programme, which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will finalize in Beijing in July.
Rome’s decision increases the importance of Hungary and Serbia, lying in central and eastern Europe, if China is to have unimpeded access to the EU by land.
