The Serbian President himself said
A strong relationship strengthened with Last Year’s FTA
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Europe for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), on the 27th, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced in his New Year’s speech in Belgrade that “our true friend, President Xi, will visit Serbia this year.”
President Vučić explained, “President Xi’s visit was confirmed through discussions with Wang Yi, the Chinese Foreign Minister.” He later added on Instagram, “I discussed the visit of President Xi, a good friend of Serbia, over lunch with Chinese Ambassador Li Ming.”
SCMP reported that these remarks indicate that Serbia will be President Xi’s first destination in Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Xi has avoided overseas tours under a strict “Zero COVID” policy. However, after withdrawing this policy, he began to expand his steps by visiting Russia in March last year and meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in November for a summit in the U.S. for the first time in over six years.
However, there has been no significant movement for a trip to Europe, with only speculation being raised in recent months. The most recent meetings with European leaders were at the G20 Summit held in Bali, Indonesia, in 2022 and when French President Emmanuel Macron visited Beijing last year.
Serbia, which has had a close relationship with China for a long time, seems to be the first place President Xi has chosen to visit. President Vučić attended the Belt and Road Forum held in China last October, and at that time, the leaders of both countries also signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This was China’s first FTA with a Central and Eastern European country.
Moreover, both countries have been supporting each other on issues related to Taiwan and Kosovo. In his speech, President Vučić emphasized, “Serbia will always respect the One China principle.”
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