Serbia's Risky Romance

Refusing to pick sides, Belgrade woos Brussels and Beijing

“As the US and China become more hostile towards one another, many around the globe are picking sides. Yet, Serbia is doing the exact opposite, attempting a balancing act, trying to integrate with the West and China at the same time, along different channels.”

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When China’s president, Xi Jinping, visited Europe in May, for the first time in nearly five years, he visited France, Serbia, and Hungary, in that order. However, it was Xi’s time in Serbia that was most significant.

During his stopover in Belgrade, both sides elevated their relationship to new heights, signing a new framework for cooperation, referred to as a “shared future.” And, it was on the back of the framework, that China and Serbia inked a new trade deal, removing tariffs on 95% of Serbian exports to China, within the next 5 to 10 years. The significance of the trade deal was missed by most, but not the Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić, who described the trade deal as “guaranteeing a future for Serbia.”