XINHUA, Belgrade, Oct. 11 (Reporter Jin Danyi) — “Culture can transcend geographical and linguistic distances and enable the peoples of China and Serbia to find resonance in each other’s stories,” said Predrag Marković, Vice President of the Socialist Party of Serbia and Director of the Institute for Contemporary History (ICH – ISI in Serbian), in a recent exclusive interview with XINHUA.
China-Serbia cultural exchanges have remained dynamic since the start of this year. In September, the Chinese film screening event "China Cinema" kicked off in Belgrade, and a cultural relics exhibition from Hebei Province was hosted at the National Museum of Serbia. Cultural events featuring Chinese films, relics, literature and drama have served as windows for local people to learn about China.
Marković has witnessed these exchanges at first hand. He has visited China many times, traveling to cities including Beijing and Shanghai, and also toured the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province. Chinese literature, history and traditional thinking have long been topics of great interest to him.
When talking about contemporary Chinese cultural works, Marković specifically cited the Chinese sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem. He noted that the Chinese TV series adapted from this outstanding work also left a deep impression on him. In his view, The Three-Body Problem not only embodies the imagination of contemporary Chinese cultural creation, but also presents overseas audiences with a more open, diverse and innovation-driven China.
The profound heritage of Chinese history and culture also struck the historian deeply. Marković recalled visiting numerous museums across China and marveling at their modern exhibition facilities and technological standards. "I have never seen museums with such advanced technical infrastructure," he said. These museums allow visitors to experience the unique charm of Chinese civilization in a more intuitive way.
Marković is equally fascinated by the richness of traditional Chinese thought. He mentioned Mozi, who lived in roughly the same era with Confucius, yet held different philosophical views. Confucius advocated benevolence and rites, while Mozi promoted universal love and non-aggression. These diverse schools of thought demonstrate the pluralism of ancient Chinese philosophy and culture. Marković believes Chinese culture boasts a wealth of intellectual traditions, and the continuity of Chinese civilization spanning thousands of years is particularly admirable.
On September 30, Predrag Marković, Vice President of the Socialist Party of Serbia and Director of the Institute for Contemporary History (ICH – ISI in Serbian), was interviewed by Xinhua in the capital Belgrade. Xinhua (Photo by Nemanja)
Marković also hopes Chinese friends can learn more about Serbia’s history and traditions. Asked which Serbian story he most wants to introduce to Chinese readers, he named the Serbian folk heroic epic The Falcon. Its protagonist Strahinja goes through war, betrayal and family tragedy and ultimately chooses forgiveness.
"Forgiveness is the greatest virtue," Marković said. In his opinion, Serbian epics embody local people’s reverence for family, ancestors and morality, and Chinese readers can perceive the Serbian nation spirit through this ancient tale.
Marković said both China and Serbia have gone through struggles for national independence and autonomous development and highly value independence. He mentioned the Long March of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and the strategic shifts of Yugoslav Partisans during the People’s Liberation War of Yugoslavia, noting that Yugoslav partisan leaders paid attention to the experience of the Long March. He argued that despite the long geographical distance between the two countries, certain shared historical memories lay the foundation for mutual understanding.
From China’s contemporary sci-fi work, The Three-Body Problem to the hero of the Serbian folk epic, different civilizations tell distinct stories yet evoke similar emotions. Marković believed that this resonance transcending time and geography is one of the reasons why the peoples of China and Serbia grow closer and understand one another.