Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djurić in Tianjin on Friday. Wang said China welcomes Serbia to get on board the express train of China's development and work together to achieve modernization for both nations.

Wang Yi asked Djurić to convey President Xi Jinping's warm greetings to Serbian President Aleksandar Vućić. Wang Yi stated that this year is a significant one for China-Serbia relations. President Xi successfully conducted a state visit to Serbia in May, during which the two heads of state decided to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. 

The traditional friendship between China and Serbia has been forged in the common opposition to power and bullying, tempered in the struggle to defend independence and sovereignty, and nurtured through mutually beneficial cooperation and common development. It has withstood the tests of changing international circumstances and will undoubtedly grow stronger over time, making the two countries true ironclad friends, the Chinese official said. 

China-Serbia relations are at the forefront of the times and align with the correct historical direction. We are willing to work together with Serbia to continuously create new prospects for our bilateral relationship, Wang Yi emphasized. 

China's economy continues to maintain high-quality development, remaining at the forefront among major economies. China is continuously improving its high-level opening-up, which not only provides momentum for its own development but also offers new cooperation opportunities for countries around the world, including Serbia, Wang Yi said.

"We welcome Serbia to get on board the express train of China's development and work together to achieve modernization for both nations," Wang Yi noted.

During the meeting, Djurić said the relationship with China is a diplomatic pillar for Serbia, and deepening cooperation with China has become a cross-party and whole-society consensus in Serbia.

Serbia supports the promotion of cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, and looks forward to close communication and coordination with the Chinese side to jointly address global challenges, the Serbian Foreign Minister said. 

Both sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Middle East.

The relevant trials of the Fujian aircraft carrier are a normal part of the construction process. In the next steps, additional trials will be gradually conducted based on the progress of the aircraft carrier's construction, Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense said on Friday 

Wu made the remarks in response to an inquiry on a notice from the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, which said traffic control will be implemented on the deep-water channel entrance of the Yangtze River estuary for a large vessel in early December with some analysts believing that the Chinese Navy's Fujian aircraft carrier may have completed its fifth sea trial and returned to its homeport.

China and the US on Friday signed a protocol to amend and extend the Agreement Between the United States and China on Cooperation in Science and Technology. They have agreed to extend the Agreement for additional five years, effective from August 27, 2024, according to China's Ministry of Science and Technology, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

On January 31, 1979, then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and the 39th US president Jimmy Carter signed the agreement during Deng's visit to the US. It was one of the first intergovernmental agreements signed between the two countries following their establishment of diplomatic relations.

Since then, it has renewed approximately every five years, paving the way for sci-tech exchanges between the two countries. The agreement was extended for 6 months in August last year, and again in February this year.

"The renewal of the agreement sends a positive signal and holds profound significance for China-US technological cooperation and global technological advancement," Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Wang said that this renewal signifies both parties' commitment to maintaining and deepening exchanges and collaboration in the technology sector. Since its inception in 1979, the agreement has served as a cornerstone for cooperation between the two nations, facilitating extensive collaboration across various fields.

Wang noted that the renewal will create more opportunities and platforms for cooperation, promote technological innovation, and foster talent cultivation, ultimately advancing the joint development of the technological sectors in both countries.

On a global scale, this collaboration will facilitate the sharing of technological resources and inject new momentum into global technological progress, Wang added.

Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday that this agreement has created substantial opportunities for technological exchanges between the two countries. It not only aligns with the mutual interests of both parties but also meets the expectations of the international community.

Potential for China-US technological cooperation can be seen in multiple fields, especially in fundamental science, advanced technology research and development, and innovative applications, Li said.

China has advantages in market scale and consumer demand, while the US leads in technological innovation and research. If the two countries can engage in deep cooperation in these areas, it will drive global technological advancement and benefit all of humanity, Li said.

The extension of the agreement comes at a time when the US has intensified its technology suppression against China, particularly concerning semiconductor exports.

"Science knows no borders. Politicizing technology can only transform what should be a collaborative effort for human progress into a tool for political struggle, ultimately harming all parties involved," Li said.

Responding to the extension over the agreement, a Chinese scientist in the computer science sector told the Global Times on Friday that China-US technological cooperation is mutually beneficial when it is cooperative, but harmful to both sides when it is confrontational.

The Chinese government will continue to deepen international scientific and technological cooperation between governments and civil society, as well as expand cultural and technological exchanges, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun said in September.

China has established scientific and technological cooperation ties with over 160 countries and regions, and signed 118 intergovernmental agreements on such cooperation, according to Yin.