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After the Zemun-Borca bridge and Corridor 11, Serbia and China are working together on the construction of the Obrenovac-New Belgrade heating oil pipeline, the reconstruction of two thermoblocks and the construction of a new one at the Kostolac Thermal Power Plant, and up to two of the three routes Belgrade-Budapest.
According to APR data from last year, there were around 2,500 Chinese majority-owned companies operating in Serbia, employing 18,000 workers.
“Somewhere, Serbia has remained consistent with its four-pillar policy, its four-pillar foreign policy, which is based on Brussels, but also on Moscow, Washington and Beijing, and it is not surprising that when we do not have specific dates and concrete movements of the EU, we inherit the other three pillars, which are not necessarily Brussels, “says Stefan Vladisavljev of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence.
Last year there was an all-time high in trade of three billion dollars. Except for copper, for other goods, the advantage remains on the Chinese side: a third of the total trade deficit of $ 2.3 billion.
Strahinja Subotic, a researcher at the Center for European Policy, believes that we have potential, we just need to know how we can use that potential.
“One of our ideas is to focus on provinces and cities because each province or city has at least one million inhabitants and is the size of our country, and we believe that Serbia has the opportunity to target its market, that micro market instead of the macro market across China. ” Subotic pointed out.
The joint declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership from 2009, otherwise the second most important document in Chinese diplomacy, remains the only one that China has signed with a country from the Western Balkans, Eastern or Central Europe and that it is outside the club of most developed countries.
Cooperation in all areas
Further development is beginning with the launch of the “Belt and Road” initiative, in which China has clearly stated that it is interested in expanding cooperation with Serbia in all areas. This was confirmed by the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Association in 2016, which absolutely marked Serbia on the Chinese map of partners in the world.
“The EU is upset not because it feels threatened as such, but because it can potentially be transferred to not only some economic but also political consequences,” says Stefan Vladisavljev.
“I think the Belgrade authorities are interested in showing, because of the EU itself, that Serbia is really committed to a transparent process when it comes to cooperation with third parties and thus demonstrating that our cooperation with China will not damage our path towards the European Union”. says Strahinja Subotic, a researcher.
Analyst expectations
Analysts estimate that relations between Serbia and China will continue in the upward line and expect new projects, investments and loans, mainly in infrastructure and energy.
“First of all, I am talking about green technologies. China is one of the largest producers of solar panels in the world, and there is no doubt that there is room for cooperation that would be in the interest of both the EU and us,” Igor said. Novakovic, director of research at the Center for International and Security Affairs.
The economic balance of power between China and the United States will not end with the new American administration, so pressure on other countries can be expected.
On the other hand, despite the statement on strategic rivalry, it is estimated that Europe is about to sign a global agreement on European investments in China, which mainly benefits Berlin and Paris.
