Xi awards China's Order of Friendship to Vucic

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded the Order of Friendship - China's highest state honour for foreign nationals - to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at a ceremony in Beijing on Monday.

An official decree said that, under a Chinese law on state medals and honorary titles, Vucic had been awarded the order for his long-term commitment and important contribution to development of Sino-Serbian friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as to advancement of building a China-Serbia community with a shared future for a new era.

Xi said Vucic had maintained a long-term commitment to the Sino-Serbian friendship, strongly encouraging the development of bilateral relations, and that he was an active creator and steadfast defender of the comprehensive strategic partnership. The Sino-Serbian friendship has stood the test of "both blood and fire," Xi said, adding that that the friendship had turned out to be even more valuable in a swiftly changing international situation.

"May China and Serbia enjoy prosperity and may our nations enjoy happiness. May the friendship between China and Serbia last forever," Xi said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin became the first recipient of the order in 2018 and it was later awarded to first Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Cuban leader Raul Castro, among others.

Vucic to Xi: Thank you for participating with us in building Serbia

BEIJING - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday for a magnificent welcome in Beijing and for his friendship and his respect and support for Serbia, as well as for his participation in building Serbia together with its people.

"Thank you on behalf of the citizens of Serbia. We are not a large nation in numbers, but we are a proud nation, a nation of dignified people that has always been safeguarding its freedom, independence and sovereignty. I am proud to be able to represent the citizens of Serbia in Beijing today," Vucic, who is on an official visit to China, said at a meeting of Serbian and Chinese delegations.

He thanked Xi for the great and significant results achieved in the ten years since the establishment of a Serbia-China strategic partnership and congratulated him on the start of the implementation of China's 15th five-year plan.

"Since your first visit to Serbia in 2016 and your historic visit in 2024, Serbia has made serious progress. Thank you for the fact Chinese companies and enterprises have contributed to that," Vucic said.

He said Chinese companies employed nearly 40,000 people in Serbia and that four out of Serbia's top six exporters were Chinese-owned companies.

"Thank you endlessly for participating together with us in building Serbia, for the fact we are building the EXPO together - a specialised expo that should be the world's largest event in 2027. Thank you for helping Serbia in all the difficult times, for demonstrating that it is possible to be a friend in all the difficult times when we were attacked in the UN and in all other forums and institutions," Vucic said.

He said the Serbs would never forget China's and Xi's support and assistance during the COVID pandemic and during the political struggle in the UN concerning Kosovo-Metohija and accusations levelled against Serbia.

"Our cooperation is growing day by day and I believe that, after today's discussions, after all the Chinese citizens, Chinese companies and the Chinese leadership will be able to find out, hear and see about Serbia, it will be even greater," Vucic said, thanking China for concluding a FTA with Serbia.

He thanked Xi for affording him the honour of visiting Belgrade and Serbia in 2024, as well as for today's first official state visit to China by a Serbian delegation.

"Thank you again, and long live the steely friendship between Serbia and the People's Republic of China," Vucic said.