Xi Jinping attends farewell ceremony held by Vucic and his wife

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan attended a farewell ceremony held by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his wife Tamara Vucic in Belgrade on Wednesday.

Vucic thanked Chinese enterprises and workers for making important contributions to Serbia's infrastructure and urban construction. He said China has always been a great country and has developed rapidly in recent years with its status and role as a great power being highly respected, adding that "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable."

The Serbian president said that China is not only committed to its own development, but also helps other countries' development, such as Serbia's. Serbia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to boost their respective development, he added.

Stressing China is a country with a splendid civilization of more than 5,000 years, Xi told Vucic that China seeks not only the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, but also the happiness of the people of the world.

"Not only do we pursue our own development, but we are also committed to realizing common development of other countries, which is the original intention of my proposal of building a community with a shared future for mankind," said Xi.

The Chinese president stressed that "a strong China is by no means a threat to the world," adding that China is ready to strengthen cooperation and seek common development with all countries, including Serbia.

Vucic again thanked President Xi for his state visit to Serbia, saying the Serbian side has made unprecedented special arrangements to receive President Xi, hoping that President Xi can feel the deep friendship of the Serbian people for the Chinese people, especially for the Chinese president.

He again expressed his gratitude for China's assistance to Serbia and said he hopes to take this historic visit as an opportunity to elevate Serbia-China relations to new heights.

Xi thanked President Vucic and his wife for their generous hospitality.

"Although my visit was relatively short, it was very pleasant and moving, and once again left an unforgettable impression," Xi said, hailing the visit a complete success.

The iron-clad friendship between China and Serbia is built on a foundation of solid public opinion, the Chinese president stressed, adding that he is looking forward to continuing close communication with President Vucic.

He called on the two sides to work together to write a new chapter in China-Serbia relations and lead the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era to achieve more results for the benefit of the two peoples.

After the farewell ceremony, Vucic and Tamara accompanied Xi and Peng to the airport. Two Serbian air force fighters escorted Xi's plane. 

After concluding his visit in Serbia, Xi arrived in Budapest on Wednesday night and commenced his state visit to Hungary at the invitation of Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.