After talks in Belgrade, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said they would “deepen and elevate the overall strategic partnership between China and Serbia” and build “a new era of community with a shared future for China and Serbia.”
It is not yet clear what this “common future” means, but it is assumed that the EU will not welcome this step.
Xi arrived in Serbia on Tuesday evening from France, where disputes over trade and Russia’s war against Ukraine dominated the course of the visit.
From Serbia, Xi will go on to Hungary.
Like Serbia, Hungary is also considered one of China’s friendliest partners in Europe.
China has invested several billion euros in Serbia in the form of investments and loans, mainly in mining and infrastructure.
Both countries signed an agreement on strategic partnership in 2016, and a free trade agreement last year.
Some agreements, including the free trade agreement, do not meet the EU membership criteria.
Although Serbia formally maintains its desire to join the EU, it has moved away from this path in several respects.
Tags: Serbia China sign agreement building shared future
