Steel mill workers' plaque spotlights mutually beneficial China-Serbia cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Belgrade on the evening of May 7 for a state visit to Serbia at the invitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

This marks Xi's second visit to Serbia in eight years, seen as a milestone to upgrade and strengthen bilateral relations.

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 16, 2021, shows the Smederevo steel plant of HBIS Serbia. (HBIS Serbia/Handout via Xinhua)

The fate of the small city of Smederevo in northeast Serbia has become closely tied to China because of a century-old steel factory there.

The once state-owned Smederevo Steelworks contributed 40 percent of the city's fiscal revenue in its heyday, hailed as "the pride of Serbia." However, fierce market competition and mismanagement nearly led to its closure.

In April 2016, China's HeSteel Group (HBIS) acquired the ailing steel plant, bringing hope to thousands of workers.

During Xi's 2016 visit, he toured the Smederevo steel plant of HBIS Serbia, observing products and the control center, where he inquired about the details of the production process.

The steelworkers crafted a commemorative plaque for Xi, intricately engraved with the silhouette of a steel mill alongside the outlines of blast furnaces, exhaust chimneys, and workshops – a heartfelt gesture to express their gratitude.

Photo taken in June 2016 shows the commemorative plaque with a sketch of the Smederevo steel plant of HBIS Serbia, gifted to Chinese President Xi Jinping by factory workers that month. (Photo/Hu Yang)

"What we pledge to do, such as introducing cutting-edge technology, ensuring local employment, and benefiting the wider community, must be achieved without fail," Xi told workers then.

China dispatched technical experts to the steel plant, maintained and upgraded the systems there, as well as invited the Serbian management team and some staff members to visit China for exchanges and training.

Since 2016, the revived steel mill has generated around 4.77 billion euros ($5.13 billion) in exports, ranking as Serbia's top exporter for years. In 2023, it contributed 795 million euros to Serbia's economy, accounting for 1.15 percent of its GDP that year.

The steel plant's revival vividly exemplifies the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia and their mutually beneficial partnership.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) talks with workers at a dining hall of the Smederevo steel plant in Smederevo, Serbia, June 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

In a letter replying to workers of the steel plant on April 29, 2024, Xi told the steelworkers that they are participants, witnesses, contributors and beneficiaries of China and Serbia's 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 socio-economic development of Serbia and the consolidation of the China-Serbia friendship," Xi said.