Standing at a new historical starting point, he said that China will work with Serbia to jointly stay committed to the original aspiration and forge ahead together to open up a new vista in China-Serbia cooperation, with stronger momentum, greater scope and higher quality.

"I look forward to taking this visit as an opportunity to have in-depth exchange of views with President Aleksandar Vucic on bilateral ties and other issues of mutual interest, renew friendship, plan for cooperation, explore development, and draw up a new blueprint for the development of bilateral relations," he said.

Xi is currently making a six-day visit to Europe, his first European tour in five years. The three-nation trip has already taken him to France, and later he will go to Hungary.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn