China and Serbia maintain diplomatic relations established between People's Republic of China and SFR Yugoslavia in 1955. In recent decades, the two countries have held a very close relationship raising it to the level of strategic partnership since 2009.[1] [2] [3]
China supported the Serbia (then part of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) during the Kosovo War and opposed the NATO airstrikes against targets in Serbia and Montenegro.[4] China believed that Milošević was acting to prevent the secession of Kosovo by Albanian separatists from Serbia, and thus supported his actions as preserving the FRY's territorial integrity.[5] China opposed NATO intervention in Kosovo on the basis that it set a dangerous precedent that Chinese officials believed could in the future afflict China should riots occur in Tibet or Xinjiang and then result in bombings. PRC opposition to the NATO actions intensified after the United States bombed the PRC's embassy in Belgrade during the war.
Under president Aleksandar Vučić, Serbia has sought closer cooperation with China.[6] After meeting with Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, he secured Chinese help in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia through delivery of PPE and CoronaVac vaccine doses,[7] which has contributed to Serbia leading COVID-19 vaccination rates in Europe.[8] [9]
In 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including Serbia, signed a joint letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council defending China's persecution of Uyghurs.[10] [11] Serbia was one of 16 countries that defended China in 2019 but did not do so in 2020.[12]
In 2024, on occasion of the 25th anniversary of the United States bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote an article in the Serbian newspaper Politika in which he stated, "The friendship between China and Serbia which is soaked in blood that the two peoples spilled together has become a joint memory of the two peoples and will encourage both parties to make together huge steps forward."
See also: China–Kosovo relations. China backs Serbia's position regarding Kosovo. The PR Chinese Foreign Ministry has made a statement stressing that the PRC "expresses grave concern" over Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. The spokesman Liu Jianchao's remarks go on to add that "The resolution of the Kosovo issue bares on peace and stability of the Balkan region, the fundamental norms governing international relations as well as the authority and role of the UN Security Council. China always believes that a plan acceptable to both Serbia and Kosovo through negotiations is the best way to resolve this issue. The unilateral move taken by Kosovo will lead to a series of consequences. China is deeply worried about its severe and negative impact on peace and stability of the Balkan region and the goal of establishing a multi-ethnic society in Kosovo. China calls upon Serbia and Kosovo to continue negotiations for a proper resolution within the framework of the international law and work together to safeguard peace and stability of the Balkan region. The international community should create favorable conditions for that."[13] [14]
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić told reporters after a meeting in Beijing with Politburo member Liu Yandong that China reiterated its support to help Serbia preserve her territorial integrity. "Just as Serbia supports the one China policy, China supports Serbia as its best and most stable friend in southeastern Europe."[15] Ambassador of China to Serbia, Wei Jinghua, stated in 2009 that "China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and understands the great concern of Serbia on the issue of Kosovo. We support the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina that would bring a mutually acceptable solution, in accordance with international law, the UN Charter and UN resolutions."[16]
The China is Serbia's second biggest trading partner. Trade between two countries amounted to $6.1 billion in 2022 with Chinese merchandise exports to Serbia standing at almost $5 billion while Serbian exports stood at $1.1 billion. Since 2024 China and Serbia have a free trade agreement.
Chinese companies invested $5.6 billion in Serbia in the last decade.[17] [18] Chinese corporations making investments in Serbia include Zijin Mining (owner of Serbia Zijin Bor Copper cooper mining complex in Bor), Hesteel (owner of Hesteel Serbia steel plant in Smederevo), Hisense (electrical appliances factory in Valjevo), Linglong Tire (tire factory in Zrenjanin), and Minth (automotive parts factories in Šabac and Loznica).
Since early 2010s China has invested US$10 billion in Serbian infrastructure and energy mainly through China's Belt and Road Initiative, of which Serbia was one of major beneficiaries with projects including Serbian section of the Budapest–Belgrade railway (built by CCCC), 350 MW B3 unit of Kostolac thermal power-plant (built by CMEC), Belgrade–Ljig and Čačak-Požega segments of A2 motorway (built by Shandong Gaosu Group), Pupin Bridge in Belgrade (built by CRBC).[19] [20] As of 2024, Chinese companies are building several large infrastructure projects including Line 1 of Belgrade Metro (built by Power China), the National Stadium and exhibition halls for Expo 2027 in Belgrade (built by Power China), A6 motorway connecting Belgrade and Novi Sad through the town of Zrenjanin (built by Shandong Gaosu Group).
The Serbian flag carrier Air Serbia operates flights between Belgrade and Shanghai and Belgrade and Guangzhou.[21] [22] The Chinese carriers China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines operate flights between Belgrade and Guangzhou and Belgrade and Beijing respectively.[23] [24]
In recent years, Serbia has purchased from China air defense missile systems of medium and short range (HQ-22 and HQ-17) as well as combat drones (CH-95 and CH-92).[25]
In 2017, Serbia and China mutually abolished the requirement of obtaining an entry visa for its citizens.[26]
| Dates | Visit | |
|---|---|---|
| November 2000 | Visit by Foreign Minister Živadin Jovanović, to Beijing | |
| December 2000 | Visit by Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, to Belgrade | |
| August 2001 | Visit by Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus, to Beijing | |
| January 2002 | Visit by President Vojislav Koštunica, to Beijing | |
| April 2003 | Visit by Foreign Minister Goran Svilanović, to Beijing | |
| April 2003 | Visit by Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Guchang, to Belgrade | |
| November 2003 | Visit by Prime Minister Zoran Živković, to Beijing | |
| September 2004 | Visit by Defence Minister Prvoslav Davinić, to Beijing | |
| October 2004 | Visit by CPPCC Vice Chair Liu Yandong, to Belgrade | |
| February 2005 | Visit by President Boris Tadić, to Beijing | |
| May 2005 | Visit by Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui, to Belgrade | |
| May 2005 | Visit by First Secretary of the CP City Committee Liu Qi, to Belgrade | |
| May 2005 | Visit by Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, to Belgrade | |
| October 2005 | Visit by Foreign Minister Vuk Drašković, to Beijing | |
| December 2005 | Visit by Minister for Human and Minority Rights Rasim Ljajić, to Beijing | |
| May 2006 | Visit by Mayor of Belgrade Nenad Bogdanović, to Beijing | |
| May 2006 | Visit by Director of the Security Intelligence Agency Director Rade Bulatović, to Beijing | |
| August 2006 | Visit by State Counsellor Tang Jiaxuan, to Belgrade | |
| April 2007 | Visit by Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu, to Belgrade | |
| April 2007 | Visit by Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Gen. Zdravko Ponoš, to Beijing | |
| September 2007 | Visit by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, to Beijing | |
| August 2008 | Visit by President Boris Tadić, to Beijing | |
| September 2008 | Visit by Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the People Liberation Army Gen. Chen Bingde, to Belgrade | |
| November 2008 | Visit by Defence Minister Dragan Šutanovac, to Beijing | |
| April 2009 | Visit by Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić, to Beijing | |
| August 2009 | Visit by President Boris Tadić, to Beijing | |
| June 2010 | Visit by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković, to Beijing | |
| July 2010 | Visit by Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Wu Bangguo, to Belgrade | |
| December 2010 | Visit by Minister of Diaspora Srđan Srećković, to Beijing | |
| May 2011 | Visit by Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, to Belgrade | |
| August 2011 | Visit by President of the National Assembly Slavica Đukić Dejanović, to Beijing | |
| August 2013 | Visit by President Tomislav Nikolić to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai | |
| December 2014 | Visit by Prime Minister Li Keqiang, to Belgrade | |
| September 2015 | Visit by President Tomislav Nikolić, to Beijing | |
| November 2015 | Visit by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, to Suzhou | |
| June 2016 | Visit by President Xi Jinping, to Belgrade and Smederevo | |
| September 2018 | Visit by President Aleksandar Vučić, to Tianjin | |
| October 2023 | Visit by President Aleksandar Vučić, to Beijing | |
| May 2024 | Visit by President Xi Jinping, to Belgrade |