Wang: China to continue to support Serbia in safeguarding its sovereignty

MUNICH - Chinese FM Wang Yi says China will continue to firmly support Serbia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

Wang said this after a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC).

This will not only consolidate the "ironclad friendship" between China and Serbia, but also "oppose separatist acts, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and defend international equity and justice," China's Xinhua news agency quoted Wang as saying.

"China cherishes its solid friendship and mutual trust with Serbia, and stands ready to strengthen high-level exchanges and plan for future cooperation with Serbia, take China-Serbia relations to new heights, and open a new chapter of solidarity and cooperation between the two countries," he also said.

"China-Serbia relations have withstood the tests of drastic international changes and forged a sincere and profound friendship," he said.

"China firmly believes that President Aleksandar Vucic will lead the Serbian people to make greater achievements on the path to national development and revitalisation," said Wang, who conveyed to Vucic the greetings of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Wang said the robust Sino-Serbian cooperation was in line with "the long-term interests of both sides" and noted that a country, no matter big or small, could win reputation and respect from all parties in the international community as long as it maintained a "firm and unyielding character."

In a post on his buducnostsrbijeav Instagram account, Vucic wrote Saturday's meeting with Wang had also addressed bilateral relations and economic cooperation between Serbia and China and reconfirmed the "steely friendship between the two states and peoples."

"I informed him of the degree of threat to Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija and the worsening living conditions in Serbia's southern province," Vucic noted.