Čadež: A New Phase of Economic Cooperation with China in 2026

Next year, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS) will organize the participation of Serbian companies in at least four international trade fairs in China and lead at least ten business delegations to the world’s most populous country. At the same time, the CCIS will twice a year bring together Serbian and Chinese businesspeople in Serbia to foster networking and the implementation of joint projects, announced today Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.

Speaking at a ceremonial cocktail reception at the Serbian Business Club “Privrednik,” organized by the CCIS for representatives of the Serbian and Chinese business communities, Čadež said that Serbia has a significant opportunity to improve and further develop cooperation with China. This comes as the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), together with the Chamber of Chinese Companies in Serbia, begins the official opening of its representative office in Belgrade.

“We expect the office to be officially opened in 2026. What is important is that they are not starting from a ‘ground zero’,  since Chinese companies are already operating in Serbia and have organized themselves into an association- the Chamber of Chinese Companies- which already operates here,” Čadež said.

At the event, which brought together more than 30 of the largest Serbian companies and 24 Chinese companies, Čadež emphasized that the number of visits to China will be doubled with the aim of connecting domestic companies with major Chinese partners. The goal is to launch new projects in 2026 and make next year a “year of Chinese-Serbian cooperation.”

Jagoda Lazarević, Minister of Foreign and Internal Trade, highlighted that Serbia and China have strong potential for further growth in bilateral trade and investments. She stressed that the coming period will be dedicated to strengthening business ties and diversifying Serbian exports to the Chinese market, noting that Expo 2027 will be an excellent opportunity to present China in Serbia.

Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming underlined that the two countries have enormous potential for further development of bilateral trade and investments. He emphasized the importance of implementing new projects, expanding market access for Serbian products, and continuing successful cooperation in 2026, with a focus on innovation, sustainable development, and premium product quality. He also noted the need to further develop the potential enabled by the joint Free Trade Agreement.

Yang Dong, President of the Chamber of Chinese Companies in Serbia and General Director of China Communications Construction Company, recalled that the organization brings together 58 companies in Serbia employing more than 25,000 people across various sectors, from infrastructure to finance. He stressed the importance of intensifying cooperation between Serbian and Chinese companies in 2026.