BELGRADE, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The China-Serbia Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum was held in Belgrade, Serbia, on Thursday, bringing together over 200 representatives from both countries to explore new opportunities in trade, investment, and emerging industries.

Marko Cadez, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described the forum as a valuable platform for fostering business cooperation and forging concrete partnerships, noting that China is now Serbia's largest source of imports and its third-largest export destination globally.

"We are opening a new chapter of more intensive and enhanced cooperation, not only between the chambers of commerce of Serbia and China but also among our member companies," Cadez said.

Ren Hongbin, President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), underscored the importance of high-level strategic cooperation in strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Serbia. He reaffirmed CCPIT's commitment to promoting high-quality collaboration under the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in technological innovation, advanced manufacturing, green energy, the digital economy, and artificial intelligence.

Ren also invited Serbian businesses to participate in the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) and reiterated China's support for Serbia's hosting of the 2027 Belgrade Specialized Expo.

Li Ming, Chinese Ambassador to Serbia, said that the two countries have long maintained a relationship based on mutual trust and win-win cooperation, noting that bilateral trade between China and Serbia surged in 2024, reaching 7.46 billion U.S. dollars, up 22.1 percent from the previous year.

Serbian Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarovic highlighted the growing presence of Chinese companies in Serbia, attributing it to the benefits of the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. She noted that Serbian businesses now have a unique opportunity to export their products under the "Made in Serbia" brand to China, where they are increasingly recognized for quality and reliability.

On the sidelines of the forum, CCPIT and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed an agreement on arbitration cooperation.

Co-hosted by CCPIT and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the forum also featured a series of business meetings between Chinese and Serbian companies across various sectors. Enditem

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