Lin Wu, Party secretary of Shandong province, meets with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Serbia. [Photo/Dazhong News]

Lin Wu, Party secretary of Shandong province, led a delegation to Serbia from Sept 7 to 11 to foster deeper cooperation between the two sides. During the visit, the delegation met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and participated in a series of events to promote economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warmly welcomed the Shandong delegation, emphasizing the strong friendship between Serbia and China. He highlighted China as Serbia's second-biggest trading partner and expressed the country's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

Vucic noted the increasing economic cooperation between Shandong province and Serbian localities, with successful investment projects creating jobs and improving local living standards. He expressed confidence that the visit would further deepen the ironclad friendship between Serbia and China and inject new momentum into bilateral cooperation.

Vucic expressed hopes for both sides to strengthen exchanges and cooperation across all levels and fields. He welcomed more enterprises from Shandong to invest and develop in Serbia, further expanding economic and trade exchanges, and synergizing through high-level cooperation for the Belt and Road Initiative.

Lin emphasized the importance of implementing the consensus reached by the heads of the two countries and further strengthening China-Serbia ties. He called for enhanced cooperation in various fields, including trade, agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, education, and science and technology, and encouraged that there be more personnel exchanges.

The Shandong delegation and Serbian representatives engage in in-depth exchanges regarding the visit. [Photo/Dazhong News]

During the visit, the Shandong delegation participated in various events, including a friendship city meeting, a business exchange, a promotion conference, and cultural performances.

The China (Shandong) - Serbia economic and trade cooperation forum was held in Belgrade during this visit. Five projects were started, and six projects were signed, demonstrating the strong interest in cooperation between the two sides.

A significant highlight of the visit was the inauguration of the Shandong China-Europe Railway Express Assembly Center in Indjija, a town near Belgrade. This center is the first of its kind for Shandong in Central and Eastern Europe, while making Shandong the first Chinese province to establish such a hub in the region. It will significantly enhance services for cross-border logistics and further strengthen trade cooperation between China and Serbia.

Cultural exchanges were also a key focus of the visit. A promotional conference for Shandong's cultural tourism sector held in Belgrade attracted many local cultural and tourism professionals.

In his speech at the event, Lin introduced Shandong's historical heritage, local customs, quality products, and cultural tourism services. Lin invited attendees to visit Shandong and experience the province's rich history, culture, and products. He noted his willingness to work with the Serbian side to build a stronger partnership in tourism and cultural cooperation.