Discover more opportunities in China through "two sessions": Serbian ambassador

Maja Stefanovic, Serbian Ambassador to China (Photo provided by Embassy of Serbia to China)

By Liu He

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhuanet) -- The "two sessions" offer the international community new opportunities to learn more about China and enhance cooperation with China, said Serbian Ambassador to China Maja Stefanovic.

The "two sessions" are of utmost importance not only for China, but for the world at large. They serve as a window to learn more about Chinese development, foreign policy and development objectives and targets for the next period, the ambassador said in a recent written interview with Xinhuanet.

The "two sessions" refer to the annual sessions of China's top legislature and political advisory body.

Stefanovic said she has been closely following the "two sessions" as always. "The decisions made at the sessions will greatly influence the cooperation of China with other countries, while the proposed economic targets will also have an impact on global economic development," she said.

Chinese modernization remains a buzzword during this year's "two sessions". Stefanovic said that other countries in the world can learn a lot from the Chinese path of modernization, which is based on peaceful development, win-win cooperation and common prosperity.

"In pursuing its own path of modernization, China is also offering to other countries the opportunity to reap the benefits of joint development, based on the principle of equality," the ambassador said.

She hailed China's victory in eradicating absolute poverty as "a significant step in development," adding that it has made a positive impact on decreasing global poverty at large.

Speaking of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Stefanovic said, "We believe the prospects of this initiative are bright, since it is based on a win-win approach and it is focused on strengthening cooperation between different regions of the world."

Many high-level projects have been implemented under the BRI framework in Serbia, said the ambassador. In her opinion, the most outstanding project is the modernization of the railway between Serbia and Hungary. The Belgrade-Novi Sad section of the railway was put into operation in March 2022, carrying passengers at a speed of up to 200 km per hour.

Stefanovic also mentioned the free trade agreement (FTA) signed by China and Serbia in Beijing in October 2023, saying that this FTA gives an important impetus in increasing the trade volume between the two sides. Exports of agricultural products and direct flights between the two sides are key areas benefited by the FTA, she said.

Moreover, Stefanovic said Serbia has focused on strengthening cooperation with China in the fields of science and technology, innovations, and renewable energy, where China has emerged as a major proponent.