The Heat: President Xi visits Serbia, Poland and Uzbekistan

The Heat

Chinese President Xi Jinping travels to Serbia, Poland and Uzbekistan in an effort to expand China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

The Chinese president and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic signed more than 20 finance and infrastructure deals in Belgrade.

President Xi Jinping also met with employees at a Serbian steel mill, recently purchased by China’s HeSteel and pledged China’s support of Serbia joining the European Union.

In Warsaw, President Xi and Polish President Andrzej Duda welcomed the arrival of a Chinese freight train, showcasing the European country’s importance as a gateway for Chinese exports. Poland is China’s largest partner in Central and Eastern Europe .

Some 40 deals were signed related to construction, energy, and new technologies.

China urged Poland to take advantage of its position as a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

President Xi is wrapping up his tour in Uzbekistan with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, China and Uzbekistan upgraded their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

For more on President Xi’s visit:

  • Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies
  • Mirzokhid Rakhimov, a visiting Fulbright scholar at the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute in Washington
  • Alexious Lee, the head of China Industrial Research at one of Asia’s leading investment banks
  • Sourabh Gupta, a resident senior fellow at the Institute for China – America Studies