Participants of a forum focusing on China-Serbia cooperation on Thursday agreed that the Sino-Serbian ties will be further deepened thanks to the momentum created by the joint projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The forum "Future of Cooperation Between China and Serbia" was held at the Institute for International Politics and Economics with the presence of representatives of Chinese-Serbian Commerce Association, Chinese Ambassador Li Manchang as well as experts, academics and state officials.
According to the Chinese ambassador, Serbia's active involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative has resulted in numerous projects.
BIG PROJECTS EFFECTS
It's a consensus at Thursday's forum that the increase of the number of joint projects between China and Serbia will bring many positive changes, including more job creations, economic growth and enhanced academic and people exchanges.
Zou Ze Xi, deputy general manager of the branch office of the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), gave the Zemun-Borca bridge, the first completed project of the CRBC in Serbia, as an example, saying the bridge has improved transport across the Danube in the Serbian capital.
"With the support of both countries we are now working on the Surcin-Obrenovac section of the highway E763, helping Serbia to improve the transportation network in order to promote the economic development," he said, adding that the soon-to-be-constructed China-Serbia industrial park in Borca will help create local jobs, improve the technical level of labor and bring significant benefits to industry and development.
"It is predicted that around 1,800 enterprises will be located in the park," he announced, estimated that the production by these enterprises will create 7,500 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs for Serbia.
"This will contribute to Serbian gross domestic product (GDP) by 2.3 billion U.S. dollars," said the manager.
CLOSER LINKS
With the increase of the big projects, links between the two countries are being cemented in multiple dimensions.
Xu Li, President of the Chinese-Serbian Commerce Association, said that the body was established this February by leading Chinese companies in Serbia in order to bring experts and businessmen of China and Serbia together.
