The Chinese government has not changed its stand regarding Kosovo and continues to respect Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Chinese Ambassador to Belgrade Wei Jinghua has stated.

In an interview for the Thursday edition of the Belgrade-based daily Novosti, the Chinese ambassador said that his country is consistent in its support to a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina which would render a mutually acceptable solution to the Kosovo issue.

Wei pointed out that China will back all actions aimed at re-initiation of the dialogue and talks, and added that Beijing believes that UN Security Council Resolution 1244 provides a basis for solving the Kosovo issue. He assessed that it would be best to use the opportunity which has presented itself with the adoption of the Serbia-EU resolution on the ICJ advisory opinion on Kosovo in the UN General Assembly and restart talks between the Serbian and the Albanian side concerning all relevant matters.

The ambassador noted that although geographically far apart, Serbia and China nurture a deep and long-lasting friendship, and added that the official visits of Serbian President Boris Tadic to Beijing in August 2009 helped establish strategic partnership relations between the two countries.

Regardless of the changes on the international scene or those in China and Serbia, the two countries' relations will remain characterized by a healthy and stable development, Wei said and noted that the two countries harbour mutual respect, and understand and support each other in matters of national interest.

Wei pointed out that the construction of the bridge across the Danube is one of the key projects in the two countries' economic and commercial cooperation.

The project is worth EUR 170 million and it is the first big project of cooperation in the domain of infrastructure, but it is also the first bridge in Europe that will be built by a Chinese company, Wei stated and underlined that the two countries' leaders attach considerable importance to the project. He said that the construction works should start in the spring of 2011.