Chinese President Xi Jinping has replied to a letter from Serbian workers at the HBIS Smederevo Steel Plant in Serbia.

In a letter dated Monday, April 29, Xi encouraged them to make new contributions to the China-Serbia friendship.

Xi said during his state visit to Serbia in 2016, he met with the workers face-to-face at the Smederevo Steel Plant and deeply felt their support for the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Serbia and their high expectations for a bright future of the steel plant.

From their letter, Xi said he learned that with the joint efforts of the management teams of both sides and the workers themselves, the steel plant has taken on a new look, providing strong support for the development of Smederevo City.

It is a great pleasure to learn that the steel plant has quickly turned losses into gains after the investment of a Chinese-funded enterprise, with the jobs of more than 5,000 employees guaranteed and thousands of families enjoying a peaceful and happy life, said the Chinese president.

He said the development of the plant cannot be achieved without the dedication and hard work of the workers, who have been working diligently for the quick growth of the steel plant and have written a new chapter in the iron-clad friendship between China and Serbia.

I give you "the thumbs up," Xi said.

The sound development of the plant is a striking epitome of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia, as well as a paradigm of their mutually beneficial cooperation, he said, adding that the steelworkers are participants, witnesses and contributors to and beneficiaries of China-Serbia friendly cooperation.

"I hope you will continue to do your own jobs wholeheartedly and dedicate yourself enthusiastically to the operation and development of the plant so as to make new and greater contributions to the socioeconomic development of Serbia and the consolidation of the China-Serbia friendship," Xi said.

Thirty representatives of Serbian workers at the HBIS Smederevo Steel Plant wrote a letter to Xi, expounding on the latest development of the plant and its important contribution to improving local people's well-being. They also thanked Xi for showing care for and facilitating the project.