Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic arrives in Beijing for an official state visit and talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
BEIJING: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic touched down in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese state state media reported, where he will meet with his counterpart Xi Jinping.
Vucic’s visit is the latest in a string of foreign leaders making the pilgrimage to Beijing in recent months.
Some have made the trip as they recoil from a mercurial United States while others, like Vucic, seek to boost already stable ties with the Asian giant.
Serbia has maintained close ties with both Beijing and its historical ally Russia.
Over the last decade, Serbia has experienced a boom in Chinese investment — with Beijing now among its top five foreign investors.
While Vucic has been to China several times for various international summits and forums, this latest trip marks his first official state visit to the country.
Vucic hailed earlier this month a $1.5 billion deal for a Chinese company to build an expressway in Serbia.
The Serbian leader said the deal was proof of the two nations’ “steel friendship”.
According to the Serbian finance ministry, Chinese projects currently underway include Belgrade’s metro system, a major road tunnel in the city and several bridges.
The two countries also ratified an extradition treaty in September, extending the number of countries in Europe willing to extradite Chinese citizens back to China.
