During a week-long official state visit of Serbian President Boris Tadic to China, Serbia and China established strategic partnership including political, economic and cultural cooperation. Serbia is the only Chinese strategic partner in the South-East Europe region. In official statement agreed in Beijing by President Hu Jintao and President Boris Tadic there is pointed out that they exchanged opinions in open and friendly atmosphere and reached wide consensus on further strengthening of mutually useful cooperation between the two countries in various spheres and on international and regional issues of mutual interest. Serbia President said that in previous years Serbia had three pillars of its foreign policy – Brussels, Moscow and Washington and that “now it has got the fourth one in Beijing“.
Serbia and China are ready to improve economic cooperation. The result is agreement on economic and technical cooperation signed by two ministers of economy. Serbian President Boris Tadic calls China a very important economy in the world with great potential for development underlining that Serbia is extremely interested in further development of economic cooperation with China. China-Serbia bilateral trade reached 125 million US$ in the first five months of this year. That is 33.1% annual global trade downturn. During the official state visit, Serbian business delegation assisted to economy forums in Beijing and Shanghai. First Chinese investments in Serbia are expected to be realized in October or November. Serbian Government will give infrastructural deals in Serbia worth EUR 1 billion to Chinese construction companies. Only in Belgrade, we plan construction of five bridges over the Danube and the Sava. One of five bridges to be built in Belgrade will be realized with a credit from the Chinese ‘Exim Bank’ engaging companies from China. Similar arrangements are expected for new port capacities on Danube and a new free trade and industrial zone.
Serbia is a very interesting economy partner for China being the only country with free-trade agreements with the European Union, Russia, Byelorussia, Turkey and the CEFTA bloc (Central European Free Trade Agreement). These markets count with more then 800 millions of inhabitants. Joining the EU is Serbia's main strategic goal and when Serbia joins the EU, China would have another close friend in the European Union.
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