Tadić: China is strategic partner

Ahead of his trip to China this week, President Boris Tadic says that relations between Belgrade and Beijing "are at the highest level in history". Tadic told FoNet news agency in an interview in Belgrade on Tuesday that this will be made official with the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries. Tadic: China is strategic partner Tadic said that his upcoming visit to Beijing will be the third time in the past four years that he has visited China, will further confirm the excellent relations between Serbia and China with an umbrella cooperation agreement. The president also stated that he believes ties with China should represent "the fourth pillar" of Serbia's foreign policy. “There are many countries waiting in line to sign such an agreement with China, but it will not have its full meaning unless economic cooperation follows. This is why businesspeople and members of the Serbian government who are in the delegation have a very specific job to do,” he said. The president said that concrete issues, such as Kosovo, economic cooperation, years of friendship and the principle stance of Serbia regarding one China all helped build a strategic partnership. “There is no dilemma that in the next 20-25 years, China will take over a dominant role in some sectors of the economy, and therefore in international policies. This can be useful for Serbia,” Tadic continued. The president added that he will be speaking to China officials about possibilities of cooperation in the sectors of infrastructure, IT, pharmaceutical and metal, "and perhaps agriculture". A file photo of Boris Tadic (FoNet)

Tadić: China is strategic partner

Tadić said that his upcoming visit to Beijing will be the third time in the past four years that he has visited China, will further confirm the excellent relations between Serbia and China with an umbrella cooperation agreement.

The president also stated that he believes ties with China should represent "the fourth pillar" of Serbia's foreign policy.

“There are many countries waiting in line to sign such an agreement with China, but it will not have its full meaning unless economic cooperation follows. This is why businesspeople and members of the Serbian government who are in the delegation have a very specific job to do,” he said.

The president said that concrete issues, such as Kosovo, economic cooperation, years of friendship and the principle stance of Serbia regarding one China all helped build a strategic partnership.

“There is no dilemma that in the next 20-25 years, China will take over a dominant role in some sectors of the economy, and therefore in international policies. This can be useful for Serbia,” Tadić continued.

The president added that he will be speaking to China officials about possibilities of cooperation in the sectors of infrastructure, IT, pharmaceutical and metal, "and perhaps agriculture".