New Belgrade-Tianjin flight to boost Serbia-China economic ties: PM

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic (Front) speaks during a launch of the first direct flight between Serbia's Belgrade and China's Tianjin in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 9, 2022. The first direct flight between Serbia's Belgrade and north China's Tianjin city was launched on Friday, operated by Serbia's national carrier Air Serbia. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

BELGRADE, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The first direct flight between Serbia's Belgrade and north China's Tianjin city was launched on Friday, operated by Serbia's national carrier Air Serbia.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic was present at the launch.

Brnabic said at a press conference at Belgrade Airport that the flight will further strengthen economic ties between Serbia and China, bring new investors, attract a large number of tourists to Serbia, and improve relations and cultural exchange between the two nations.

Brnabic recalled that in 2019, the largest number of tourist arrivals in Serbia was from China: 145,000 out of 268,500 overnight stays.

In 2021, the two countries' trade in goods exceeded five billion dollars, and in the last 10 years Serbia's exports to China have increased up to 152 times.

Flights from Belgrade to Tianjin will run once a week on Fridays, while return flights to the Serbian capital will be operated on Sundays. 

A plane of Air Serbia is seen during a launch of the first direct flight between Serbia's Belgrade and China's Tianjin at an airport in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 9, 2022. The first direct flight between Serbia's Belgrade and north China's Tianjin city was launched on Friday, operated by Serbia's national carrier Air Serbia. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic (L, Front) poses with others during a launch of the first direct flight between Serbia's Belgrade and China's Tianjin in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 9, 2022. The first direct flight between Serbia's Belgrade and north China's Tianjin city was launched on Friday, operated by Serbia's national carrier Air Serbia. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)