Serbia-China-EU Relations – From (De-)hedging to Win-Win?

Mitić, Aleksandar (2025) Serbia-China-EU Relations – From (De-)hedging to Win-Win? In: Sino-european Relations and Reshaping Of the International Order. Eurasia Center, John Von Neumann University, Budapest, Hungary, pp. 191-222. ISBN 978-615-109-005-3

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Abstract

The Republic of Serbia, as a military-neutral, EU candidate country, with Eurasian hedging tendencies in Euro-Atlantic surroundings, presents a unique case of cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. As an early adopter of the 16+1 (China-CEEC) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) formats, Serbia entered a comprehensive, strategic relationship with the PRC at bilateral and multilateral levels due to its internal challenges, specific foreign policy orientation and geopolitical context. In a decade, Serbia revamped its development path, boosted its infrastructure, saved its metallurgy, improved internal and regional connectivity and received political support for its fundamental national interest of preserving territorial integrity. On the other side, Serbia’s cooperation with China faces pressure from the “political West” aimed at curbing Serbia’s hedging through de-hedging, wedging and negative strategic framing. Nevertheless, Serbia’s objective remains to aim for win-win scenarios, which would not preclude either its EU membership talks, under way since 2014, or the building of the China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era since 2024.

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