President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday that the Chinese people have a  long-cherished special friendship with Serbia and are ready to  collaborate with the Serbian people to establish a community with a  shared future between the two nations.

Xi made the remarks during a welcoming banquet hosted by Serbian  President Aleksandar Vucic and his wife, as part of Xi's state visit to  Serbia, the second stop on his three-nation trip to Europe.

Divided between East and West, Serbia is a Balkan country at the  crossroads of Southeast and Central Europe. For thousands of years,  different civilizations from the Eurasian continent have met and  affected each other in Serbia.

This has helped foster the diligent, kind and resilient character of the Serbian people, Xi said.

Now, under the guidance of Vucic, the Serbian government and people  are forging ahead with impressive achievements in socioeconomic  development, improving people's well-being, and more, he said.

Xi said that as the confidence and national pride of the Serbian  people continue to rise, it is believed that Serbia will embrace bright  and broad prospects in the country's development and national  rejuvenation.

According to the Chinese president, the old Yugoslav film "The  Bridge" and the Serbian song "Goodbye My Friends", which stirred  people's patriotic sentiment and anti-fascist spirit, are very popular  in China. Xi also mentioned that they accompanied him in his youth.

Prominent figures from Serbian sports and cultural circles, such as  tennis star Novak Djokovic, are also well-known in China, he said.

Xi hailed the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China  and Serbia as a vivid example of building a community with a shared  future for mankind, citing its vitality and fruitful results.

After the two heads of state announced on Wednesday their decision to  build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, Xi  stated that the bilateral relationship has taken a great leap in history  and is now facing valuable opportunities and bright prospects from this  new vantage point.