On April 29, 2024, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from Serbian workers in HBIS Group's Smederevo Steel Plant, encouraging them to make new contributions to China-Serbia friendship.

Xi Jinping noted that during his state visit to Serbia in 2016, he had a face-to-face exchange with workers at the Smederevo Steel Plant and deeply felt their support for the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Serbia as well as their expectations for a bright future of the plant. Xi said he learned from their letter that with the joint efforts of the management teams of both sides and the workers themselves, the steel plant has taken on a new look, providing strong support for the development of Smederevo City. He was glad to learn that the steel plant has turned losses into gains quickly after the investment of a Chinese-funded enterprise, ensuring the jobs of more than 5,000 employees, and enabling thousands of families to enjoy a peaceful and happy life. Noting that the development of the steel plant cannot be achieved without the dedication and hard work of the workers, who have been working diligently for the rapid growth of the steel plant and have written a new chapter in the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia, Xi gave them a "thumbs-up."

Xi Jinping emphasized that the sound development of the Smederevo Steel Plant is a vivid demonstration of what high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Serbia can achieve in practice, and a successful example of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. The workers of the steel plant are participants, witnesses, contributors as well as beneficiaries in the friendly cooperation between China and Serbia. Xi expressed the hope that the workers will continue to do their jobs wholeheartedly and devote themselves enthusiastically to the operation and development of the plant, so as to make new and greater contributions to the economic and social development of Serbia and the consolidation of the ironclad friendship between China and Serbia.

Recently, 30 representatives of Serbian workers in HBIS Group's Smederevo Steel Plant wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping, briefing him on the latest development of the plant and its important contributions to the improvement of local people's well-being, and expressing gratitude to President Xi Jinping for his personal care and attention that has made the project possible.