Students display the art of Chinese calligraphy during an event to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Novi Sad in Novi Sad, Serbia, May 27, 2023. The Confucius Institute at the University of Novi Sad marked its ninth anniversary on Saturday with a series of cultural activities. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

 

Children sing a Chinese song during an event to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the Confucius Institute at the University of Novi Sad in Novi Sad, Serbia, May 27, 2023. The Confucius Institute at the University of Novi Sad marked its ninth anniversary on Saturday with a series of cultural activities. (Xinhua/Shi Zhongyu)

The Confucius Institute at the University of Novi Sad marked its ninth anniversary on Saturday with a series of cultural activities.

The celebration was attended by around 100 people including Serbian government officials, university professors and students, and representatives from the Chinese embassy and Chinese enterprises.

The cultural activities covered recitation of Confucius quotes, Chinese martial arts show, Chinese traditional painting, Serbian children's choir singing in Chinese and an exhibition of Serbian landscapes painted with traditional Chinese methods.

Bojan Tubic, Serbia's assistant minister of education, said in his address that education cooperation between Serbia and China has achieved continuous progress thanks to the great contributions made by the Confucius Institute at the University of Novi Sad.

Noting the cooperation between the two countries in various fields, Tubic said he would especially like to emphasize the participation of Serbia in the Belt and Road Initiative.

"In this way, the two states confirmed their commitment to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership in order to further improve bilateral practical cooperation in various fields," he said.

Zhang Zhe, minister counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Serbia, said the Confucius Institute plays an important role in promoting equal exchanges and mutual learning between the cultures of the two countries as well as in deepening the Belt and Road cooperation and jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Chinese director of the Confucius Institute, Chen Hui, said that along with the progress of the Belt and Road Initiative and the deepening of the bilateral cooperation in various areas, young people who are learning Chinese now will certainly become a new force in the friendly exchanges between China and Serbia in the future.

The Serbian final round of a Chinese language skills competition for college students was also held on the same day.

The Confucius Institute at the University of Novi Sad, founded in 2014, is the second such institute in Serbia.