On September 13, 2024, the city of Zrenjanin in northern Serbia hosted the production launch ceremony for the first tire manufacturing plant established by a Chinese company in Europe. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić attended the significant event and highlighted that this project, the largest greenfield investment in Serbia to date, will greatly boost regional economic development and symbolize the increasingly close cooperation between China and Serbia.
The ceremony was attended by Serbian officials including Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Environmental Protection Irena Vujović, Minister of Economy Andjelka Atanasković, and Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming.
In his speech, President Vučić praised China for being a crucial partner to Serbia and noted that the tire factory's opening is a concrete manifestation of the two countries' relationship. He specifically mentioned that such cooperation would not have been possible without the joint efforts of the leaders of both nations. He projected that the project will significantly enhance the economic prosperity of Zrenjanin and the surrounding Banat region, and improve local infrastructure and public services.
Chinese Ambassador Li Ming stated that under the strategic guidance of the two national leaders, China and Serbia have strengthened mutual trust and cooperation, effectively advancing the Belt and Road Initiative with notable results. The commencement of production at Linglong Tire is a vivid example of this successful collaboration and demonstrates Chinese companies' confidence in the Serbian market. Li Ming expressed hope that the business communities of both countries will seize this opportunity to further enhance cooperation and jointly advance the construction of a China-Serbia community of shared destiny.
Linglong Tire revealed that the factory, with a total investment of $990 million, employs advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, mobile sensing, industrial big data, and industrial robotics, with an annual production capacity of 13.62 million high-performance radial tires.
