Aleksandar Vucic attends opening of Xinhua photo exhibition at Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade

Printscreen: TanjugVideo

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic attended today in Belgrade the opening of a photo exhibition of the Chinese news agency Xinhua, dedicated to the friendship between the peoples of China and Serbia.

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The event took place in the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade. The opening of the exhibition was attended by President Vucic, as well as Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming.

After the exhibition was officially declared open, those gathered watched a video address by the director of the Xinhua news agency, who greeted everyone and pointed out that China and Serbia are ironclad friends who have gone through many challnges and shared the good and the bad, and aslo welcomed the fruitful cooperation between our presidents.

"With ten meetings in the last ten years, they improved Sino-Serbian relations, especially during the visit of President Xi Jinping in 2024, when the deepening of the comprehensive partnership was announced, which became a new milestone in our friendship," the Xinhua director pointed out, after which he referred to President Vucic's historic visit to China, which strengthened the friendship and opened more doors to our cooperation.

He assessed that this friendship originates from great political trust, but also from the close ties between our peoples, and that the photos demonstrate our sincere friendship, both the present, and the future of our cooperation.

Chinese ambassador in Belgrade Li Ming addressed the guests, emphasizing that he is very pleased that this magnificent exhibition about the friendship between our peoples is opening today. He wished a warm welcome to President Vucic and thanked him for coming, as well as to everyone who contributes to our friendship.

Photo: Tanjug/Dejan Zivanovic

"President Vucic's visit to China aroused great interest in the entire community. It had historical significance. Not only did it raise our relations to a higher level, but it significantly improved Serbia's international position," said the diplomat

"The peoples of China and Serbia have gone through great challenges, during the Cold War, but also during the barbaric bombing (of Serbia) by NATO, they remained steadfast and defended their sovereignty with blood, forging loyalty and friendship," Li added, emphasizing all the successes in our cooperation that followed as a confirmation of this loyal friendship.

Finally, the ambassador wished good health to President Vucic and a bright future to the Serbian people.

Photo: TanjugLive/Printscreen

President Vucic was given the first copy of a book published by the Xinhua agency.

"Dear friends, President Xi once said that China's cultural self-confidence comes from a rich historical heritage, but also from the ability to create values ​​in the new era. Today's photo exhibition is not something that should cement the past, but show us the path of the future from the past," he said, and added that during his great state speeches, President Xi always stresses that cultural self-reliance is the foundation on which a modern state is built and global dialogue is achieved.

"It is a great honor for me today to be able to greet you here, in a place that is a symbol of the strong cultural exchange between our peoples. Today we have gathered to commemorate history, celebrate the present and look together into the future of one of the most incredible and firmest friendships in the world," said President Vucic.

"Exactly ten years ago, we signed strategic friendship (agreement) with the People's Republic of China and I know that when many people listen to me, both here in Serbia and often in the West, they think my words do not belong to modern times, but you can always analyze actions instead of words, and then I consider what China has done in the last ten years, but also in general since President Xi came to power. And so year after year, from different places around the world, I hear that China will not be able to last much longer, that it's facing many problems - as if we don't have them much more pronounced here in Europe - yet somehow China always achieves better and better results thanks to its planning, the five-year plans, the diligence," Vucic said, and added:

"We as a continent, I would say the wider Western civilization, are slowly but surely falling behind and each of the images that we will see today, from which I could learn a lot about China, are worth more than a thousand words. Those photos are the annals of our common destiny, and thanks to President Xi I had the opportunity to visit the Communist Party museums in Beijing and Shanghai, from those photos I learned a lot about the Chinese people, the state, the invincibility of work, diligence, dedication and love for the fatherland. The one who leads a country must see everything more clearly than anyone else."

The president pointed out that today, thanks to this friendship, 5,000 people in Smederevo earn their salary as well as another 10,000 subcontractors, and that the steel mill in that town would never have worked again if it were not for this friendship with China and for President Xi, which provided Serbia with enormous support, a huge economic boost, but at the same time showed who is its sincere friend.

In order to describe how any attempts to slow down China with sanctions are futile, he spoke about the power of water.

"You can't stop water. You cannot stop the nature of the one who is stronger and more successful. All those sanctions, protectionist measures against China cannot succeed," said Vucic.

The exhibition was organized on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between Serbia and China, based on a document signed on June 18, 2016.

Two sets of unique photos - historical from 1975 onwards, and those documenting current joint projects, such as the Belgrade-Budapest high speed railway - from the archives of the Xinhua news agency are on display at the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade, which record the overall history of Serbian-Chinese relations and cooperation.

The opening of the exhibition was also attended by Vice-President of the Assembly of Serbia Marina Ragus, President of China Photo Group Duan Zhihua, and Director-General and President of the European Regional Bureau of the Xinhua News Agency Tian Fan.

Through photographs, the work of Chinese companies in Serbia - Shandong Hi-Speed ​​Group, Serbia Zijin Mining, Serbia Zijin Copper, as well that of the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade - is also documented.

The exhibition was organized by the main European office of the Xinhua News Agency, the Embassy of China in Serbia, and China Photo Group, while the hosts of the exhibition are the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade and the Xinhua Office in Belgrade.

(Telegraf.rs)