CHINADAILY TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2014 nation 3 LI’SVISIT Serbia builds more SCO urged to cut trade barriers bridges with China Premier: Country By ZHAO SHENGNAN hopes to help zhaoshengnan@ bloc improve chinadaily.com.cn Before becoming the Ser­ their economies bian ambassador to China less than two months ago, By QIN JIZE in Astana Milan Bacevic was the minis­ and ZHAO YINAN in Beijing ter of natural resources, min­ ing and spatial planning in China proposed to help Belgrade. Shanghai Cooperation Orga­ His title has changed, but nisation countries upgrade one mission has not: seek­ their resource­based econo­ ing Chinese investment, Li’s visit will be mies with advanced industrial especially in infrastructure. important for Ser­ equipment and financial sup­ Bacevic’s endeavors in port to hedge against the that field will be boosted by bia’s foreign policy impact of plunging oil prices Premier Li Keqiang’s trip to priority — its EU path and geopolitical uncertainties. Serbia on Monday, the first — because China’s The organiza­ by a Chinese premier to the Inside tion’s six mem­ Balkan country in 28 years. position as a major See more, bers — China, During his visit, Li was power is important page 9 Russia and four due to meet with the Serbi­ for both Serbia and Central Asian an president and prime countries — signed deals to minister, and he will repre­ the EU.” deepen cooperation in cus­ sent China at a meeting MILAN BACEVIC toms, law enforcement and a with leaders from Central SERBIAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA multilateral economic and and Eastern European trade outline on Monday, fol­ countries. lowing the 13th prime minis­ “A great number” of The countries agreed to ters’ meeting of the bloc in agreements will be signed build the railway, the first Astana, Kazakhstan. during the Serbia trip, cov­ cross­border infrastructure Premier Li Keqiang called PANG XINGLEI / XINHUA ering areas including infra­ project in the Central and upon the organization to cut Premier Li Keqiang and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (center), Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov (second left), structure, civil aviation, Eastern Europe, last year. trade barriers, improve the effi­ Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda (second right), Kyrgyz Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev (first left) and Uzbek First energy, finance, agriculture China has already con­ ciency of customs and open Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov (first right) attend the 13th prime ministers’ meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation and education, Bacevic told firmed its constructive role market access among the orga­ Organisation in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Monday. China Daily in Beijing in the region, especially nization’s members. He also recently. “We welcome more since the region has a high announced the start of the state members are in a transi­ are observers, and Belarus, Tur­ international economic turbu­ join hands to prop up growth. Chinese companies to come need for infrastructure, and selection of projects for the $5 tional period to sustain growth key and Sri Lanka are dialogue lence through strengthening “But such cooperation and invest in Serbia.” China has the financial billion China­Eurasia coopera­ while restructuring the econo­ partners. cooperation with state mem­ remains underdeveloped com­ Among Central and East­ resources, know­how and tion fund. my.We’dinvestinsteel,cement, Total economic output of the bers of the SCO, Beijng’s pro­ pared with their exchanges on ern European countries, Ser­ experience to help achieve Economic growth in Central electricity and the deep­proc­ region took up 14.9 percent of posal to build a Silk Road regional security.Opportunities bia has the largest number the goal, Bacevic said. Asia will continue to decelerate essing of resources to help local the world economy, compared Economic Belt is particularly lie in Beijing’s proposal to build of joint infrastructure pro­ Li’s visit will also promote in2015,hitbydeepeninggeopo­ economies while transferring with just 4.8 percent in 2001. favorable to the region. a Silk Road Economic Belt, as jects with China, he said. A relations between China litical tensions between Russia China’sovercapacity.” China’s trade with the other Xing Guangcheng, a well as in the fact that, as the major transport infrastruc­ and the European Union, he and Ukraine, the International The regional bloc, founded five state members jumped researcher at the Chinese Acad­ world’s second­largest econo­ ture and logistics center is said, adding that Serbia can MonetaryFundsaidlastmonth. by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, from $12.1 billion in 2001 to emy of Social Sciences, said my,China can serve as the gate­ expected to be established in play a key role in that proc­ “China is willing to cooperate Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and $130 billion dollars in 2013. security and economic coopera­ waytotheAsiaPacificregionfor Belgrade, he said. ess and with regard to Bei­ with all the members in the Uzbekistan, contains three­ At Monday’s meeting, tion are the two wheels of the othermemberstates,”Xingsaid. Bacevic highlighted the jing’s proposed trans­ organizationinthesamewayas fifths of the Eurasian continent Kazakh Prime Minister Karim regional bloc, and tumbling construction of a 1.5­km Eurasia Silk Road we are working with Kazakh­ and one­fourth of the world’s Masimov said that as the energy prices, geopolitical ten­ Contact the writers bridge by China Road and Economic Belt. stan,”Li told government heads population. Afghanistan, India, Kazakh government tries to sionandloomingdeflationhave through zhaoyinan@ Bridge Corp over the Dan­ Serbia, which is situated atthemeetingonMonday.“The Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan reduce the side effects of the compelled regional members to chinadaily.com.cn ube, Europe’s second­long­ at the crossroads between est river, which flows central and southeast through Serbia. Li is expect­ Europe, is an EU candidate ed to attend the completion country. Its free trade agree­ ceremony for the bridge in ments with the EU and Rus­ CHINA’S TRADE WITH CENTRAL, EASTERN EUROPE Belgrade. sia, among others, offer Unit: billion dollars Connectivity is also high access to a substantial mar­ on the agenda of the leaders’ ket for Chinese companies meeting, as infrastructure that invest in the landlocked was damaged during the nation. conflicts of the 1990s. “Li’s visit will be impor­ A “new breakthrough” is tant for Serbia’s foreign poli­ expected to be made with cy priority — its EU path — Albania Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Czech Estonia Hungary Latvia the Belgrade­Budapest Rail­ because China’s position as and Herzegovina Republic way that China is building a major power is important with Serbia and Hungary, for both Serbia and the EU,” Bacevic said. he said.

$0.487 $0.112 $1.9 $1.5 $17.38 $1.31 $8.41 $1.38 (2012) tidbits (2013) (2012) (2013) (2013) (2013) (2013) (2012) Mandarin speaker Astana hotel where the Chinese delegation was Kazakh Prime Minister based. Li presented a gift Karim Masimov, a fluent Estonia to Masimov: The Due Proc­ Mandarin speaker, studied GDP (billion) ess of Law, a book that was POPULATION (million) in China and headed a trad­ jointly translated by Li $13.36 (2013) Albania Albania 3.02 (2014 estimate) ing operation in Hong Latvia and his classmates when Bosnia and Bosnia and Kong. While addressing $19.12 (2014 estimate) 3.87 (2014 estimate) he studied at Peking Uni­ Herzegovina Herzegovina business leaders from both versity. Masimov, like Li, $53.05 (2013) Bulgaria Lithuania Bulgaria 7. 59 (2013) countries on Sunday, Mas­ holds a doctoral degree in $57.86 (2013) Croatia Croatia 4.33 (2013) imov welcomed China’s economics, and said he Czech Czech representatives in Manda­ $198.37 (2013) Republic 10.51 (2013) would treasure the book. Republic rin. “A Chinese saying goes 1.34 (2013) $24.48 (2013) Estonia Estonia that friendship is priceless,” Poland $137.228 (2014 estimate) Hungary Hungary 9.88 (2014 estimate) he said, to much applause. $32.82 (2014 estimate) Latvia Latvia 1.99 (2014 estimate) Premier Li Keqiang said he Czech admired Masimov’s lan­ 2.96 (2013) $45.93 (2013) Lithuania Republic Lithuania guage proficiency, and add­ $10.78 (2013) Macedonia Slovakia Macedonia 2.1 (2013) ed he was inclined to learn $5.95 (2013) Montenegro Montenegro 0.65 (2011) Kazakh, to bring the two countries closer together. $513.93 (2013 estimate) Poland Hungary Poland 38.48 (2014 estimate) Slovenia $189.65 (2013) Romania Romania Romania 21.3 (2013) Croatia Gift to Masimov $68.6 (2013) Serbia Serbia 9.3 (2013) Masimov hosted an exclu­ Nursultan Nazarbayev, Bosnia and $101.81 (2014 estimate) Slovakia Herzegovina Serbia Slovakia 5.42 (2013 estimate) sive breakfast with Li on Kazakh President $46.85 (2013) Slovenia Bulgaria Slovenia 2.06 (2013) Monday morning in an Montenegro Exception for Li Macedonia Kazakh President Nursul­ Albania tan Nazarbayev usually does not meet guests dur­ ing the weekend, but he made an exception for Li on Sunday. The two lead­ ers talked for 90 minutes via simultaneous interpre­ tation, instead of the more Lithuania Macedonia Montenegro Poland Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia common consecutive inter­ pretation which leads to conversation gaps, to save time and cover as many issues as possible. At the $1.81 $0.103 The Due Process of Law, a end of the meeting, Nazar­ $0.172 $14.81 $3.78 $0.612 $6 $1.82 bayev said he was (2013) (2013) (2013) (2013) (2012) (2013) (2012) (2012) book that was jointly translated by Premier Li impressed by Li’s efficiency Keqiang and his classmates and pragmatic approach. when he studied at Peking Sources: Ministry of Foreign A airs, Xinhua News Agency LIU LUNAN / CHINA DAILY University ZHAOSHENGNAN