Chinese President Xi Jinping was officially received in Belgrade on Wednesday by his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic. Discussions between the two are planned during the day.
The Chinese head of state had already arrived in Belgrade late on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday he was welcomed on a red carpet in front of the main government buildings. He was greeted by a military band and his country’s national anthem. He is paying a state visit to Serbia, which is part of his first European tour in five years.
The Chinese leader will discuss with his Serbian counterpart the New Silk Road, an initiative of transport routes from China to other countries in the world. According to Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, the talks will also concern “a major project”, but he did not provide further details.
Vucic stated on the sidelines of the meeting that he recognizes that Taiwan is part of China. “We have a clear and simple position on China’s territorial integrity,” he told a crowd gathered outside government buildings. “Yes, Taiwan is China.”
China has invested billions in Serbia and the Balkans, mainly in mining and manufacturing industries. Beijing and Belgrade also signed a free trade agreement last year.
The first stop of that European tour was in France, where Xi was on Monday and Tuesday. French President Emmanuel Macron took him on a trip to the Pyrenees, among other things. The two are also said to have discussed human rights.
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Tags: Jinping meets Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic Belgrade
