Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said “the sky is the limit” on future cooperation.
Serbia loves Xi Jinping. Like, really loves him.
The Chinese leader’s arrival in Belgrade on the second leg of his European tour ignited unparalleled enthusiasm in Serbia, a nation often regarded as one of China’s staunchest allies in Europe.
“I told him that as the leader of a great power he will be met with respect all over the world, but the reverence and love he encounters in our Serbia will not be found anywhere else,” President Aleksandar Vučić said after a welcoming ceremony in front of Palata Srbije, a lavish socialist-era compound often used for state visits.
Vučić also stressed that, when it comes to cooperation with Beijing, “the sky is the limit.”
This is the best summary I could come up with:
“I told him that as the leader of a great power he will be met with respect all over the world, but the reverence and love he encounters in our Serbia will not be found anywhere else,” President Aleksandar Vučić said after a welcoming ceremony in front of Palata Srbije, a lavish socialist-era compound often used for state visits.
Xi stopped in Belgrade after two days in France with President Emmanuel Macron, and before a trip to Budapest to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — like Vučić, another thorn in the West’s side.
Xi’s arrival was met with stringent security measures which effectively brought the Serbian capital to a halt, with upwards of 6,500 police officers stationed at key locations along the visit route, granting the Chinese ruler the grandeur and formality that aligns with his aim to enhance the country’s significance in the West.
Opposition parties issued a press release Wednesday morning, alleging that employees of Serbian state-owned companies were instructed to skip work and join the sizable crowd welcoming Xi.
The pro-government news outlet Politika featured a front-page piece penned by Xi on Tuesday, describing the relationship between two countries as “ironclad” — a term that gained popularity in many socialist nations during the 20th century for its association with industrialization and the working class.
“This visit shows that Serbia has exchanged Russia for China went it comes to its main partner to bargain with the West,” said Vuk Vuksanović, an expert on Sino-Serbian relations and a senior researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy.
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