Serbia can help build bridges between Europe and China
Serbia’s experience proves that cooperation with China brings concrete benefits to ordinary people, workers and families
As I return to China, I do so with an abiding sense of respect for a nation that has become one of Serbia’s most indispensable partners and a defining force of our century. In Europe, discussions about China are too often clouded by suspicion and strategic anxiety. I understand that every major political community must guard its future, but I believe Europe should approach China not with fear and suspicion but with confidence and a serious, open-eyed willingness to cooperate.
Through our framework with central and Eastern Europe, the relationship has matured into a broad and enduring partnership – and its fruits are now visible across our landscape in infrastructure, energy and technology.
The revitalisation of the mill by HBIS Group was more than an economic project. It was proof that together we could restore dignity where others saw only decline. Today, 5,000 people are employed there directly, and thousands more depend on its success. What was once a symbol of industrial uncertainty has become a testament to renewal.
I remember clearly the atmosphere during that 2016 visit. The workers welcomed Xi not as a remote foreign dignitary, but as a leader who understood their travails intimately and recognised their potential fully. Those images remain deeply etched in the memory of Serbians.