BELGRADE, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Bilateral economic cooperation between Serbia and China is entering a new phase focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, Marko Cadez, president of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.
According to Serbian media, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's state visit to China has yielded over 20 agreements across key economic sectors and secured nearly 950 million euros (1.1 billion U.S. dollars) in new joint projects, creating about 1,650 new jobs.
Bilateral cooperation has evolved through several stages over the past decade, from infrastructure and mining to manufacturing and automotive investment, and is now moving toward AI, robotics and digital technologies, Cadez told Xinhua.
Cadez, who has visited China eight times in the past 12 months, said he is preparing to attend the International Supply Chain Expo to be held in Beijing later this month to pursue new opportunities between the two sides.
The bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has become an important driver of economic ties, and Serbian exports to China have increased by 75 percent over the past two years, while local companies have gained easier access to Chinese machinery, equipment and raw materials, Cadez said.
Chinese investment in Serbia has soared to nearly 8 billion euros (9.28 billion dollars), creating around 40,000 jobs, according to Cadez.
Meanwhile, bilateral cooperation is increasingly shifting toward advanced technologies, he said, highlighting plans to build a humanoid robot production facility in Serbia, which he said will be the first of its kind in Europe and serve as a model for joint innovation.
"There are production plants for humanoid robots in the United States and China, but not on European soil," he said. "This will be the first one producing humanoid robots in Europe, and it will be in Serbia."
He added that future cooperation will increasingly focus on AI-based production, digital transformation and next-generation industrial technologies.
Serbia's ongoing deployment of a standalone 5G network will provide important infrastructure support for AI-powered factories and regional data centers, he said, adding that China's rapid navigation of the technological revolution serves as a critical blueprint for Serbia.
Moreover, driven by an "ironclad" friendship and mutual trust, bilateral cooperation is also moving beyond traditional trade and investment, he said, citing a recent joint venture in China's Hebei Province, where a Serbian company and a Chinese partner established a factory producing agricultural machinery components.
"It is something that goes beyond just trade," he said. "It is two companies building a new company together and producing for the Chinese market." ■