The meeting came amid deepening science and technology cooperation between the two countries. A China-Serbia Belt and Road Joint Laboratory developing green steel manufacturing has yielded early breakthroughs. The lab was approved in October 2024 and is jointly operated by HBIS and the University of Belgrade.

Key achievements include producing trial samples of high-definition outer steel panels, launching a pilot production line that uses hydrogen-based smelting to extract vanadium and titanium from iron ore, and a major advance in ultra-high-strength steel used in automotive stamping, according to a report by Hebei Daily.

Researchers also confirmed that a shipment of iron ore powder from Serbia can serve as a high-quality raw material for green steelmaking.

Using hydrogen metallurgy technology, the ore has been processed from oxidized pellets into direct reduced iron, achieving a reduction rate of 99.74 percent and meeting green steel production standards, Hebei Daily reported.

"The joint laboratory marks a new stage in bilateral cooperation, shifting from capacity cooperation to sci-tech collaboration," Liu said.