19 July 2018

Economic cooperation with China will flourish in the coming period

President of the National Council for Coordination of Cooperation with the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China Tomislav Nikolić had a meeting today with a delegation from the City of Xiamen, led by Gao Yushun, Vice-Chairman of the Xiamen Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Photograph: Office of the National Council

 

Council President Nikolić emphasized that economic and political relations with China were very good, expressing his expectation that economic collaboration with China would flourish in the coming period. The cooperation rests on President Xi Jinping’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, and Serbia is China’s major partner on the said route. Serbia is the only country that China is developing economic relations with on the basis of respect for the values of friendship, culture, history and tradition. Council President Nikolić stated that he was content that China’s “Zijin” had announced participation in a tender for the Mining and Smelting Combine “Bor” strategic investor. “When visiting the Province of Fujian, I had the opportunity to tour your city, and I would like to congratulate you on the way you are lifting both your city and your country out of poverty, thus helping China to overtake other countries, too”, Council President Nikolić underlined.

Photograph: Office of the National Council

 

Mr. Gao Yushun underscored that China maintained its years-long friendship with Serbia, highlighting that ever since President Xi Jinping and President Tomislav Nikolić had met, the two countries’ economic cooperation had been making more and more progress every day. Mr. Gao Yushun invited Serbia to attend an investment forum scheduled for September, to be attended by countries participating in the “Belt and Road” initiative. In his capacity as representative of Xiamen, Mr. Gao Yushun emphasized that the establishment of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone had led to a 15.9% increase in GDP, while the annual fiscal gain had risen by 19%, and the residents’ income had grown by 14%. Xiamen is the main trading port city with direct flights to more than 50 countries, and a railroad connecting it to Hungary, Poland, Germany and Russia. Xiamen attracts many foreign investments and is an exemplar of balanced development and of great devotion to environmental protection.

Mr. Gao Yushun recalled that President Xi Jinping used serve as Deputy Mayor of Xiamen in mid-1980s, and that the city was nowadays famous for innovations contributive to the overall development of China.