Xiplomacy: Warmth that transcends borders

Established in 1913, the Smederevo Steel Plant was once regarded as "the pride of Serbia." However, by the late 1990s, declining competitiveness and weak management had pushed the plant to the brink of closure. In 2016, China's HBIS Group acquired the plant. Through joint efforts by both sides, the plant has undergone a breathtaking transformation, regaining its position as one of Serbia's key export drivers.

In 2024, 30 Serbian workers from the steel mill wrote a letter to Xi, sharing the mill's development story and expressing their gratitude for his support in making the project's success possible.

Xi said in his reply letter that it is a great pleasure to learn that the steel plant has turned losses into gains quickly after the investment of a Chinese-funded enterprise.

The development of the plant, he said, cannot be achieved without the dedication and hard work of the workers, who have been working diligently for the quick growth of the steel plant and have written a new chapter for the iron-clad friendship between China and Serbia.

"I give you a thumbs-up," Xi wrote in the letter.