10 September 2018

National Council President Nikolić, with PR China’s Ambassador Li Manchang, meets a delegation from Shandong Province, led by Vice-Governor Wang Shujian

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 Province of Shandong, led by Wang Shujian, the Vice-Governor. Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia Li Manchang was also present.

Photograph: Office of the National Council

“President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping was right in judging that China should focus most attention on Serbia within the “Belt and Road” strategy. China and Serbia share a comprehensive strategic partnership, and we patiently and persistently work to help Serbia get going, assisted by our cooperative efforts with China. The Sino-Serbian collaboration rests on the most solid of foundations – on friendship. We are counting on our long-term partnership with China and Chinese companies, and as long as Serbia fosters genuine friendship with China, it should not be concerned about its present increasingly accelerated economic development. Particularly heartening are the economic indicators showing an increase in cooperation, as our two countries should manufacture goods for third markets, and I would like to see new Chinese production plants being inaugurated in Serbia. The FTAs that Serbia has entered into with other countries are a good opportunity for joint manufacturing ventures”, Mr. Nikolić underlined.

“In China, you have the reputation of a friend of the Chinese people, of someone who constantly and relentlessly works to develop relations between Serbia and China. During your Presidential term, you and President Xi Jinping jointly ushered in a new stage in our two countries’ relations. The people of China will never forget this. You have also visited Shandong, the Province that we come from, thus creating a basis for further development of cooperation between Serbia and the Province. Shandong’s development is very steady, as we are giving more and more attention to the production of high-quality goods, environmental protection, and while striving to maintain the trust that our foreign partners have placed in us.

The idea behind the “Belt and Road” initiative is conceived in such a way that we entrust our partners with good projects, thus ensuring joint progress. China’s Shandong is in first place according to many indicators, especially in sectors of agriculture, grain processing, fruit and vegetable production, infrastructural projects, industrial and tyre production”, Vice-Governor Wang Shujian stressed.

Mr. Wang Shujian recalled the tyre factory construction agreement recently signed in the City of Zrenjanin with “Shandong Linglong”. “Yesterday we had the opportunity to witness that the construction works on the Chinese Cultural Centre, the cornerstone of which was laid by you and President Xi Jinping, were going according to plan. We also visited the works on Corridor 11, Motorway E-763, with “Shandong Hi-Speed” as the main contractor on the Obrenovac-Ub and Lajkovac-Ljig sections. The Vice-Governor of Shandong also underscored that “Hisense”, the company with operations in Valjevo, Zaječar and Pazova which recently became the major shareholder in “Gorenje”, wishes to expand its business. We would like to see companies from Shandong come to Serbia, develop the best possible cooperation with us and make progress, to the mutual benefit.”

Mr. Wang Shujian also added that the Shandong delegation wanted the cooperation between Serbia and their province to be a three-pronged one: “The first prong is to improve the mechanism of high-level visits and visits at the local level. The officials of our two countries should encourage and support our companies to engage in a more intense cooperation, to the mutual benefit. The second cooperation prong, which should be the special focus of our work, is aimed at the implementation of infrastructural projects, transport industry, electrical power, oil industry, construction sector. The third one pertains to the textile and chemical industry and food processing. Shandong’s officials are supporting Chinese companies in their aspirations to come and invest in Serbia”, Mr. Wang Shujian emphasized in his meeting with National Council President Tomislav Nikolić.