A high-level Chinese delegation travelled to Belgrade, Serbia, Oct. 14, to deepen Chinese-Serbian cooperation and physical economic development, just as Serbia has indicated that it is considering whether to apply to join the BRICS. The Chinese delegation was led by Li Xiaoxin, director of China’s State Commission for Reform, and a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, after a meeting with Li, stated that Serbia is proud of its “excellent relations, ironclad friendship, and overall cooperation with China.”
On May 7, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Serbia, holding strategic meetings with President Vucic and other leaders on May 8-9, and Li’s current trip follows that path. In 2013, Serbia was a founding member of the China-initiated Belt and Road Initiative.
The emphasis of the nations’ relationship is based on BRI physical economics. In 2022, China began what is now above a $3 billion investment to renovate the depressed north-south railway from Belgrade to Budapest, with China Railway International Corp. leading the construction consortia in Hungary and Austria. The maximum speed in the Serbian section will be 200 kph; in the Hungarian section, 160 kph. Nonetheless, travel time for the 350 km between Belgrade and Budapest will be slashed from 8 hours to 3. This is a crucial leg in a planned Central and Southeastern Europe railroad.
