Xi says China, Serbia should carry forward ironclad friendship, boost mutually beneficial cooperation

China and Serbia should carry forward their ironclad friendship, boost mutually beneficial cooperation and advance the high-quality building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while meeting with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic in Moscow on Friday.

The meeting came on the sidelines of the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War.

Noting the success of his state visit to Serbia last May, Xi said the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in a new era has got off to a good start and has seen remarkable achievements made over the past year.

China is ready to work with Serbia to deepen strategic communication and enhance mutual support, strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, continue to support the construction and operation of relevant projects, give full play to their demonstrative effects, and achieve more mutually beneficial and win-win results, Xi said.

Xi highlighted the significant contribution the people of the two countries made to secure victories on the battlefields of Asia and Europe in the World Anti-Fascist War 80 years ago, and said China is willing to work with other countries, including Serbia, to address current challenges through solidarity and cooperation, jointly maintain world peace and international fairness and justice, safeguard the achievements of economic globalization, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Vucic described China as Serbia's most precious friend and said China has consistently offered selfless support and assistance to help Serbia develop its economy and improve the well-being of its people. Serbia has always adhered to the one-China principle and believes Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, he said.

Serbia stands ready to expand economic and trade exchanges with China, welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and start businesses in the country, and will provide a favorable business environment, Vucic said, adding that he hopes China will actively participate in the Specialized Expo in Belgrade in 2027.

Appreciating China's firm support for multilateralism, Vucic said Serbia is willing to work with China to address the challenges brought about by unilateralism and protectionism.

Xi says China, Serbia should carry forward ironclad friendship, boost mutually beneficial cooperation

Xi says China, Serbia should carry forward ironclad friendship, boost mutually beneficial cooperation

Xi says China, Serbia should carry forward ironclad friendship, boost mutually beneficial cooperation

Xi says China, Serbia should carry forward ironclad friendship, boost mutually beneficial cooperation

A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.

In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.

To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.

In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.

Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.

The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.

Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.

In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.

At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.

"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.

In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.

Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.

Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.

"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.

To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.

"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.

China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom