China ready to work with Serbia’s new government after Vucic concedes defeat

China said on Monday it was ready to work with Serbia’s new government after Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat in Sunday’s general election, Anadolu Agency reported.

“China always maintains non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs and respects the independent choices of the people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.

Guo said Beijing attached great importance to relations with Serbia and was ready to cooperate with the country’s new administration.

China would work with the new government “on the basis of equality and mutual respect to enhance mutual understanding and mutual trust and work for the steady development of China-Serbia relations,” he said.

Election projections put the Students Win electoral list on course to win 139 seats in Serbia’s 250-member National Assembly, compared with 104 for Vucic’s United Serbia coalition.

The projections were issued by polling agency Ipsos and the Center for Free Elections and Democracy, known as CeSID, based on approximately 60% of the processed sample.

Sunday’s election followed months of student-led protests and marked the end of Vucic’s 14 years in power, during which Serbia strengthened its relations with China.