It was an absolutely grand sight when tens of thousands of local people stood along the Zemun-Borca bridge, waving Chinese and Serbian flags and cheering.

That was how they showed their enthusiasm about Premier Li Keqiang's visit to the city's first new link over the Danube in 70 years.

As Li and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, cut the ribbon and announced that the bridge was officially complete, the huge crowd, from youngsters to senior citizens, responded with warm applause.

Though it was hard to understand their excited conversations and shouting, I could still feel their happiness from the big smiles shining under the winter sun.

Bridges are usually built to connect two stretches of land divided by water, but the Zemun-Borca bridge project has connected two countries - China and Serbia - symbolically, technologically and financially.

Named the China-Serbia Friendship Bridge, the 1,507-meter-long structure stretches across the Danube river and connects the Belgrade municipalities of Borca and Zemun. It will greatly ease local traffic problems, now that a trip that once took an hour will take only 10 minutes.

"You should definitely come and visit the old bridge, which is terribly overloaded. This is a city of 2 million people, and when we have only one bridge to cross, it obviously creates a big traffic problem," said Srdjan Randjelovic, a Serbian engineer on the project told China Central Television.

The ceremony also attracted many of my Serbian colleagues. "I've been following the development of the bridge. We were very concerned about the progress of the building, it means a lot to us," said a female radio reporter in her 20s.

She said the Chinese workers' performance did not disappoint, and they earned respect through their hard work.

Randjelovic said he was greatly impressed by the Chinese people's diligence and their strict attitude toward their work plan.

"When I saw the Chinese workers were still at the construction site on very cold and icy days, I know they could finish the project ahead of time," he said.

He said this is the first new bridge in 70 years over the Danube, and being involved in such a big project is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I feel comfortable and more confident now," he said, adding that he learned a lot from China Road and Bridge Corp.

In addition to the importance of the bridge itself, the structure is considered crucial to improving friendship and comprehensive cooperation. Serbian people have discovered more about their Chinese friends because of the bridge.

The symbolism associated with the construction of this bridge, which was built in cooperation with China, will not stop here. Chinese investors have shown a real appetite for opportunities in infrastructure construction in fields such as railways and roads. I expect to see more concrete illustrations of this symbolism in the future.

(China Daily 12/19/2014 page3)