On June 18, 2016 local time, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Tomislav Nikolić of Serbia in Belgrade. The two sides had in-depth exchanges of views and reached broad consensus on the bilateral relations and other topics of common interest. The two heads of state agreed to uplift the China-Serbia relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership so as to advance the bilateral relations to another new high.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Serbia, as all-weather friends as well as important cooperative partners, enjoy profound traditional friendship. The bilateral relations, which have withstood the weathering of time and history, remain fresh. The reason why China-Serbia relations witness powerful development momentum, gigantic potential and bright prospects is the long-lasting and profound friendship between the two peoples, mutual understanding and support between the two countries on major issues, and mutual learning and help between the two countries on their development paths. Currently, the bilateral traditional friendship is facing new development opportunities. The continuous and high-level development of China-Serbia relations accords with the common wishes of the two peoples and meets their respective demands in national development and revitalization. China is ready to work together with Serbia to further strengthen political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples, so as to constantly expand the platform for bilateral cooperation.

Tomislav Nikolić said that the Serbian people hold sincere and friendly feelings toward the Chinese people. Serbia and China maintain high-level mutual trust, implement mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields and enjoy similar standpoints on major international issues. The Serbian people are pleased to witness the achievements of China in economic and social development, the improvement in the living standard of the Chinese people, and the expanding influence of China, which is just, on international affairs. He believes that President Xi Jinping’s visit will promote a comprehensive development of Serbia-China relations and deepen the all-round cooperation between the two sides.

The two heads of state reached several important consensus and agreed to establish the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership so as to continuously endow the China-Serbia traditional friendship with more vigor and bring more substantial benefits to the two peoples in all-round cooperation.

Both sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, promote exchanges between the governments, legislative bodies, political parties and armies as well as local-level exchanges, and in the principle of mutual respect, equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results, strengthen communication on major international and regional issues and enhance coordination and cooperation in international organizations such as the United Nations.

Both sides agreed to focus on key cooperation areas, expand major cooperation projects, make infrastructure construction a priority direction, capacity cooperation a key area, and agricultural cooperation a new highlight, of the bilateral practical cooperation, and promote bilateral practical cooperation for development at a higher level, in a greater depth, and in broader fields so as to score achievements in both quality and benefit of cooperation.

Both sides agreed to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, expand personnel exchanges, and take the foundation of the Chinese Culture Center in Serbia as a new starting point to strengthen cooperation in cultural, educational, sports, local and other fields. The Chinese side is willing to render support to the construction of the Confucius Institute in Serbia and the promotion of Chinese teaching.

Both sides agreed to jointly advance the construction of the Belt and Road, reinforce the integration of the Serbian national development strategy with the construction of the Belt and Road as well as cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European countries, and put the joint construction of the Belt and Road down to specific programs.

After the talks, the two heads of state jointly signed the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia, and witnessed the signing of documents on bilateral cooperation in such fields as production capacity, finance, infrastructure construction, trade, energy, communications, technology, local areas, culture, and tourism.

Tomislav Nikolić presented Xi Jinping with the “Order of the Republic of Serbia on a Grand Collar”, the highest level of medals in Serbia, to thank Xi Jinping for his outstanding contributions to the development of China-Serbia relations.

The two heads of state also jointly met the press.

Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and others attended the above-mentioned activities.