Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Tamara Vucic, wife of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, visited Beijing Dance Academy on Monday.
In the dance studios, they observed with keen interest the teaching of Chinese dance, ballet and other dances. They then watched the students’ performances and had cordial exchanges with teachers and students in a lively and warm atmosphere.
Watching ballet practice and Chinese dance rehearsals, Peng said that dance art transcends national borders, conveys cultures and ideas, and plays a unique role in people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning.
Peng expressed hope that artists from both countries would strengthen exchanges and cooperation to create more outstanding works. Tamara Vucic also voiced her willingness to promote cultural and artistic exchanges between the two countries and contribute to the deepening of Serbia-China friendship.
Art as a bridge of China-Serbia friendship
The exchange of arts has consistently played an important role throughout the history of China and Serbia’s friendship.
At the invitation of Tamara Vucic, Peng visited the National Museum of Serbia in 2024, the largest and oldest museum in the country. Peng and Tamara Vucic toured the museum’s painting exhibition together, watched demonstrations of traditional Serbian women’s hand weaving, and even tried making felt balls – souvenirs made of felt wool – which preserve the traditional and cultural heritage of Serbia.
During the visit, Peng repeatedly expressed appreciation for Serbian art and crafts, praising the exquisite and distinctive craftsmanship while noting the cultural heritage they carry. She expressed hope that cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Serbia would be enhanced, in order to build bridges for dialogue among civilizations.
Cultural and artistic exchanges have long been an integral part of relations between the two countries.
In 1955, Kolo, Serbia’s national ensemble, made its first visit to China, marking the beginning of a long-lasting friendship that has persisted to the present day.
In a photo exhibition that marks the 70th anniversary of the first China tour by Kolo in 2025, former Secretary of State for the Ministry of Culture of Serbia Lav Pajkic said cultural cooperation is an important component of Serbia-China relations.
Over the past 70 years, the civilizations of Serbia and China have appreciated one another and engaged in exchanges and mutual learning, once again reaffirming the ironclad friendship between the two countries, he added.
Cultural exchange boosts a shared future and common prosperity
Cultural exchanges in recent years have bloomed as China and Serbia’s strategic partnership continues to reach new heights.
In Chinese President Xi Jinping’s talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Xi emphasized that China and Serbia need to fully expand cooperation in culture, education, sports and tourism and at the subnational level, so as to carry forward the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Serbian peoples.
In 2024, Beijing People’s Art Theatre traveled to Belgrade to perform Our Jing Ke, a drama performance written by Nobel Prize Laureate Mo Yan, to show the Serbian people the artistic style and aesthetic expressions of Chinese performance arts. In January 2026, an exhibition showcasing China’s renowned Dehua porcelain opened in Belgrade, providing a window into traditional Chinese craftsmanship. In April, the Confucius Classroom at the Philological High School celebrated International Chinese Language Day by singing popular Chinese songs, practicing tai chi, and reciting their favorite passages of The Analects of Confucius.
These activities and art exhibitions have become important platforms and channels for China and Serbia to learn about each other.
According to a joint statement released after Xi and Vucic’s talks, the two countries will strive to open a new chapter in people-to-people exchanges and cultural integration. As a Serbian proverb goes, “Prijatelj je plod vremena” (friends are the fruits of time).
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