Vučić Defends Serbia's China Ties in Beijing as EU Presses 2009 Membership Candidate
Updated
Updated · Euronews · May 25
Vučić Defends Serbia's China Ties in Beijing as EU Presses 2009 Membership Candidate
5 articles · Updated · Euronews · May 25
Aleksandar Vučić used his Beijing visit to reject what he called EU attempts to dictate Serbia's diplomacy, saying Belgrade would keep acting in its own interests and maintain direct contacts with partners including Russia.
China is Serbia's largest foreign investor, and a 2024 free-trade pact championed by Xi Jinping cut tariffs on almost all Serbian imports over the next decade, deepening ties that Brussels already sees as problematic.
Serbia has been an EU membership candidate since 2009, but its closeness to Beijing has become a major obstacle as the bloc hardens its stance on Chinese trade, especially electric vehicles.
Vučić's trip also underscores Xi's recent diplomatic momentum after hosting Donald Trump for talks on tariffs covering about $30 billion in goods and Vladimir Putin for a new military-cooperation statement.
As Serbia drifts from Brussels, what does its pro-China pivot mean for the future of the Western Balkans?
Is President Vučić trading Serbia's democratic values and EU ambitions for Chinese investment and weaponry?