Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Serbia this year, says its leader Alexander Vucic

Balkan nation, a close ally of Beijing in recent years, is the first confirmed stop on the Chinese president’s first post-pandemic trip to Europe
Development follows landmark free-trade deal between two countries that strongly back each other’s positions on Taiwan and Kosovo

Xi Jinping

Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels

Published: 2:06am, 27 Feb 2024

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Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Serbia this year, with the trip confirmed in a speech and social media posts by his Serbian counterpart Alexander Vucic.

In a speech made at a Lunar New Year reception he hosted in Belgrade, Vucic said, “Xi Jinping, our sincere friend … will visit our country this year”, according to local media reports on Monday.

The trip was confirmed during discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Serbian leader said.

On Friday, Vucic in an Instagram post on his official account said the “upcoming visit of a great friend of Serbia, President Xi” had been discussed at lunch with Beijing’s ambassador to the country, Li Ming.

It means Serbia is the first confirmed stop on Xi’s first post-pandemic trip to Europe, after months of speculation. The Post first reported earlier this month that Belgrade could be on Xi’s agenda, while Paris is also rumoured to be part of his itinerary.

Serbia has fostered close ties with China in recent years. Vucic met Xi during a trip to Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum in October, when the pair signed a landmark free-trade agreement.

Vucic was also one of a small set of European leaders to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics Beijing in February 2022.

Beijing and Belgrade have strongly backed each other’s positions on Taiwan and Kosovo, respectively, too.

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“The Republic of Serbia will always respect the principle of one and single China and you can always count on our country’s support,” Vucic said in his speech, according to the Serbian media outlet Tanjug.

In April 2022, the relationship hit the headlines when China’s air force flew 12 covert sorties to Serbia to deliver three anti-aircraft missile systems, marking Beijing’s biggest overseas airlift involving its Y-20 transport planes.

The airlift sparked concerns in the Balkans and across Europe about Serbia’s military build-up, with China’s nascent military presence in Europe’s backyard spooking many Western observers.

Belgrade has maintained ties with Russia during its two-year war with Ukraine, and, to the frustration of many EU and Nato members, declined to take part in sanctioning Moscow over its invasion.

October’s trade deal was the first Beijing signed with a country in central or eastern Europe, where many capitals have become hostile towards China in recent years. Analysts say it could prise open the door to more military cooperation.

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Belgrade will receive a steeper discount each year if it continues to buy armaments listed in the agreement, including missiles, bombs, torpedoes and tanks, according to a group of experts writing in The Diplomat, an online magazine.

“Customs tariffs for these Chinese-manufactured weapons will fall from a 25 per cent custom tariff to 2.5 per cent at the end of the 15-year period,” The Diplomat said.

Serbia is a candidate for European Union membership, although it appears to have a troubled route into the 27-country bloc.

Should it accede, however, its agreement with China would cease to apply from day one, since it would follow a trade policy and trade deals fixed in Brussels.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said in October “we want Serbia to join the EU”, but added it would first need to recognise Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after years of armed conflict including a war.