China's strength in electric vehicles (EVs) and smart manufacturing offers valuable experience for Serbia, Jelena Grubor Stefanovi, director of the Representative Office of Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, said at an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Shanghai on Thursday.
During his China visit, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic toured a factory of Chinese EV manufacturer Xiaomi, and said that if the company expands into Europe, "its first stop should be Serbia."
"If we speak specifically about mass market EV adoption and ecosystem development, China has already grown through the transition very successfully and clearly dominates this sector, which means that their companies today bring enormous practical experience that can be very valuable to countries like Serbia. In terms of the Serbian market, Chinese automotive brands are already becoming increasingly visible and popular and well-known. But at the same time, in terms of manufacturing, Serbia is also entering the EV transition from a relatively strong industrial position. And that's the second part of President Vucic's comment on Xiaomi, welcoming their investment in Serbia," said Stefanovi.
Stefanovi said cooperation with Chinese companies is not just about importing EVs, but about joining the future European smart mobility supply chain.
"Now, Serbia already has a very well-developed automotive components sector in the combustion engine segment that's connected to major European automotive supply chains. Hence, we also have strong engineering talent and solid manufacturing capacities. So for us, this is not only a consumer market story, but also an industrial transformation story. That's why President Vucic's visit to Xiaomi's factory was both symbolic and strategically important. Xiaomi today represents so much more than a consumer electronics company. It represents China's broader transformation into a global leader in e-mobility and an integrated digital ecosystem," she said.
Serbian businesswoman on China's strength in EVs
Colombians are heading to the polls on Sunday to elect their next president. The country's constitution prevents the current President, Gustavo Petro, from running for a second term.
Yet, many see this election as a referendum on the policies of Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first leftist president.
There are 14 candidates on Sunday's ballot, but the polls show it will likely be a tight three-way race.
The frontrunner is Ivan Cepeda, a 63-year-old three-term senator, representing President Gustavo Petro's party, the Historic Pact coalition. Cepeda has vowed to defend and deepen Petro's progressive reforms and social justice policies to reduce inequality. He also promises to continue the government's controversial "Total Peace" strategy to negotiate the disarmament of remaining guerrilla groups and criminal gangs.
"True prosperity comes from equality, from access to rights, and from transforming the peripheral and excluded territories of the rural world," Cepeda said at a campaign rally.
Running as a political outsider and independent is Abelardo de la Espriella, a 47-year-old lawyer, nicknamed "The Tiger." He has presented himself as the "authority and order" candidate who will reduce state spending by up to 40 percent in the next four years.
"(First,) we must fight insecurity. Colombia is suffering today from a pandemic of insecurity. Crime is out of control: extortion, cattle theft, smuggling, drug trafficking," he said to his supporters at an election event.
According to polls, the third candidate with strong support is Paloma Valencia. The 48-year-old senator represents the Democratic Center party led by popular former President Alvaro Uribe Velez. Her candidacy is backed by politicians and economists who are concerned with growing levels of public debt. They want to see a return to more conservative fiscal policies.
"I don't want to be a president who governs alone, locked away in glass offices. I want to be a president who stands with citizens, who embraces them, who reaches out to them, who has a team, and who governs to transform Colombia," the candidate said at the campaign event
According to polls earlier in the year, many voters are expressing concerns about unemployment, rising living costs, corruption, and, above all, public security.
The election comes after a turbulent year that the International Committee of the Red Cross has called "the worst humanitarian consequences of armed conflict over the past decade."
"(We arrive at this election in a tense atmosphere - tense) because of the economic situation, because of the security situation, and because of the narratives that have been built around the country's main problems. On top of that, emotions, ideas and social media have all helped raise (the tone,)" said Eduardo Velosa, associate professor from International Studies Javeriana University.
If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will be held between the top two finishers on June 21st.
Colombians prepare to choose their next president
