Political relations
Strategic partnership relations between the Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China were established in 2009, further deepened during 2013, and then raised to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership in June 2016.
The Republic of Serbia gives great significance to cooperation with the People's Republic of China within the mechanism of cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and through the Belt and Road Initiative.
Relations between the two countries are characterized by intensive political dialogue and exchange of visits at the high and highest political level. President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić paid several visits to the People's Republic of China, the last of which was on 16-18 October 2023, when he participated in the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and met with the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping.
The visit of special importance for the enhancement of relations between the two countries was that of the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping to the Republic of Serbia on 17−19 June 2016, this was the first visit of a Chinese President to Serbia after 30 years and, on this occasion, the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia was signed. Parliamentary cooperation between the two countries is also intensive. The then Chairman of the National People's Congress Zhang Dejiang visited the Republic of Serbia on 16−18 July 2017 and the then Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojković paid a return visit to the People's Republic of China on 24 November−1 December 2017.
Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ana Brnabić visited the People's Republic of China on 3−7 November 2023 to participate in the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. During the visit, Prime Minister A. Brnabić had a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and Prime Minister Li Qiang in Shanghai.
Premier of the State Council of The People's Republic of China Li Keqiang paid an official visit to the Republic of Serbia in December 2014, when he participated in the 3rd Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries held in Belgrade.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić paid an official visit to the People's Republic of China on 25−28 February 2020.
Тhe then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Mr. Nikola Selaković visited the People's Republic of China (Guiyang City) at the end of May 2021.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China H.E. Mr. Wang Yi visited the Republic of Serbia on 27-28 October 2021.
Economic relations
The People's Republic of China is the most important trade partner of the Republic of Serbia in Asia. In 2022, the volume of trade amounted to 6.15 billion dollars, of which exports from the Republic of Serbia amounted to 1.17 billion dollars, and imports from the People's Republic of China to 4.98 billion dollars. In 2022, the People's Republic of China was the second most important foreign trade partner of the Republic of Serbia, and this year the historical maximum of our exports to the People's Republic of China was achieved.
The two countries realize very good project cooperation in the field of infrastructure and energy. From amongst the most important projects, we would like to single out the Pupin's Bridge (Zemun−Borča), the construction of the Miloš Veliki highway sections, reconstruction of the Kostolac Thermal Power Plant and the like.
The largest Chinese investors in the Republic of Serbia are the Zijin Company that invested in the RTB Bor in 2018 and the Hestil Company that acquired the Ironworks Smederevo in 2016.
Moreover, there has been a significant investment of the Shandong Linglong Company in the construction of a tire factory in Zrenjanin in 2019. In November 2019, the Chinese factory for the production of components for car interiors Yanfeng Automotive Interiors was opened in Kragujevac. Within the mechanism of cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the realization of the trilateral Project of modernization and reconstruction of the railway track Belgrade –Budapest (between the Republic of Serbia, the People's Republic of China and Hungary) is underway.
During the visit of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić to Beijing in mid-October 2023, among others, the Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China was signed.
Bilateral agreements
- Framework Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the People's Republic of China (signed on 20 August 2009);
- Joint Statement Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia on Deepening Strategic Partnership (signed on 26 August 2013);
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Establishment of Cultural Centres (signed on 17 December 2014, Official Gazette of the MU No. 14/15 of 8 July 2015);
- Joint Statement of the Republic of Serbia and the People's Republic of China on the Establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (signed on 18 June 2016;
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the People's Republic of China on mutual visa exemption for holders of ordinary passports (signed on 5 November 2016, Official Gazette of the MU No. 11/16 of 28 December 2016).
Contact information
The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Beijing (China): http://www.beijing.mfa.gov.rs.
The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Belgrade (Serbia): http://rs.chineseembassy.org/srp/.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Department for Asia, Australia and the Pacific; Telephone: 00 381 (0) 11 30 68 345; odazap@mfa.rs.