On Sunday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić began a five-day state visit to China. The purpose of the trip is to deepen economic and investment cooperation between Serbia and China and to achieve concrete results that will contribute to the further development of relations between the two countries.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia. According to Wei Jinsheng, a professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at Lanzhou University, the visit is intended to advance practical cooperation between the two countries, further deepen and elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership, and promote the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era.
Before the trip, Vučić met with Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming. Subsequently, he stated on social media that his visit to China would be "undoubtedly the most important visit" of his political career. He added that he discussed with the ambassador the meetings he would have during his stay, as well as visits to industrial and economic giants, which he said is "extremely important" for Serbia.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Serbia is the first European country to build a community with a shared future for the new era with China. It is also a significant partner of China in Southeast Europe. Serbia was also among the first European countries to sign a cooperation document with China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
A significant milestone was also the free trade agreement between China and Serbia. This was China's first such agreement with a country in Central and Eastern Europe. Since its entry into force, bilateral trade has grown rapidly. In 2025, trade between China and Serbia reached $6.49 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 13 percent.
According to Ambassador Li Ming, China has become the largest source of foreign direct investment in Serbia and remains its second-largest trading partner. Economic, trade, and cultural exchanges, according to the text, bring tangible benefits to local residents and strengthen friendship between the two peoples.
One of the visible results of cooperation is the railway line between Hungary and Serbia. In 2025, the Serbian section of this line, built by the Chinese side, was opened. The journey between Belgrade and the Hungarian border was reduced from more than five hours to 79 minutes thanks to it.
Another example is the steel plant in Smederevo. In 2016, it was taken over by the Chinese group HBIS, which established the company HBIS Serbia. This preserved more than 5,000 jobs, and the company, which was struggling, received a new impetus.
China and Serbia introduced a mutual visa-free regime in 2017. In 2024, more than 156,000 Chinese tourists visited Serbia. According to Li Ming, the state visit of President Vučić to China will be historically significant for the further development of bilateral relations, and it is expected that political trust and economic cooperation will advance to a new level.
In the future, further development of infrastructure cooperation is expected. Vučić has previously stated that the rapid development of Serbian infrastructure is largely the result of successful cooperation with Chinese companies. In May 2026, the Serbian government signed a new agreement with the Chinese company Shandong Hi-Speed Group for the construction of a 125-kilometer highway that will connect central and eastern Serbia.
Cooperation is also expanding into new sectors. Before his state visit to China, Vučić stated that Serbia expects to sign approximately 30 agreements with Chinese companies. These are expected to relate to areas such as chip manufacturing and robotics.
According to the article, the area of new energy vehicles also has significant potential. Ivan Pavlović from the Science and Technology Park Niš, during his visit to China last November, urged Chinese automakers to establish factories in Serbia. He pointed out that Niš, the third-largest city in Serbia, has a well-developed supply chain for electric vehicle components and could serve as a gateway for Chinese automakers to the European market.
Jelena Stefanović, director of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's representative office in China, stated that economic and trade relations between Serbia and China are currently at their strongest level in history. At the same time, she believes that they still have enormous untapped potential. Therefore, Vučić's visit to China could open up new opportunities for broader bilateral cooperation.
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