Bank of China Srbija opens – Great potential for expansion of cooperation and growth of investments

(Tian Guoli and Dusan Vujovic) The arrival of the Bank of China is expected to lead to an exponential growth of investments in our country, as it was that bank that had started financing Zelezara Smederevo, stated President Tomislav Nikolic on Saturday, January 21, 2017.

– With its help and the knowledge and experience of Hesteel, our steel mill will operate better than ever in its history – said Nikolic at the Palace of Serbia at the opening ceremony of the Bank of China, which is to be the central for the Balkans and East and West Europe.

The president of Serbia wished that Bank of China Srbija a.d. Beograd should develop and operate successfully in the region, because, as he estimates, its development while being headquartered in Belgrade also guarantees the development of Serbia.

– I wish you a happy start and successful work. Welcome to Serbia, where, I believe, in addition to an understandable interest to become positioned in this part of Europe, you were led to come by an honest friendship, but also by your perception of Serbia as a state with a competent Government, which is ready in all aspects to actively and professionally meet the high demands of your operations – Nikolic said while addressing the representatives of the Chinese bank.

The president of the Bank of China, Tian Guoli, said that the opening of his bank in Belgrade was an important step towards meeting the growing needs of the economic cooperation between Serbia and China, as well as that the Bank of China would further contribute to the Chinese initiative “One Belt, One Road” with the financial services it provided.

– China and Serbia have great possibilities for expanding cooperation in the field of development of infrastructure and the production sector, as well as in the sector of tourist and financial services, emphasizing the importance of bilateral investments between the two countries. In December 2015, the amount of trade between the two countries reached USD 1.56 billion, whereas in November 2016, the trade amounted to USD 1.48 billion – Tian said and pointed out that his bank was fourth in capital assets on the Top 1000 list of world banks.

The Chinese bank will operate as Bank of China Srbija a.d. Beograd and will cover all former Yugoslavian countries, as well as Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania. Its founder in Serbia is Bank of China Hungary Close Ltd, and its headquarters will be located at 2a Zorana Djindjica Blvd, New Belgrade.

It should finance Chinese and Serbia companies making joint ventures in the third markets initially and later provide retail services as well.

The opening ceremony was attended by the president of the National Assembly of Serbia, Maja Gojkovic, ministers of the Government of Serbia, as well as Ambassador of China to Serbia Li Manchang.

Bank of China Srbija a.d. Beograd

Železara Smederevo d.o.o.

HBIS GROUP Iron & Steel d.o.o. Beograd

Narodna skupština Republike Srbije

Ambasada NR Kine Beograd

Bank of China

Bank of China Srbija ad Beograd

Tomislav Nikolic

Zelezara Smederevo

Hesteel

Tian Guoli

One Belt One Road initiative

China Hungary Close Ltd

National Assembly of Serbia

Maja Gojkovic

Embassy of China in Serbia

Li Manchang