“Steel Friendship” of the Political Elites: How China Became a Soft Power Player in Serbia

Trailović, Dragan (2024) “Steel Friendship” of the Political Elites: How China Became a Soft Power Player in Serbia. In: The 4rd “Dialogues on China” International Academic Conference: Harvesting the winds of change: China and the global actors. Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade, pp. 283-306. ISBN 978-86-7067-339-7

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Abstract

In recent years, with varying degrees of success, the People’s Republic of China has been attempting to enhance its image in other countries through various public and cultural diplomacy strategies in order to increase its soft power. Notably, in the Balkans, Serbia stands out as a country where the promotion of Chinese soft power has been more successful than in other countries in the region. Indicators of this success are evident in the attitudes of Serbian citizens, with a large and stable majority holding favourable views towards China and considering it one of the most influential foreign policy actors shaping Serbia’s international position. Therefore, the question arises: How did China become such an influential soft power player in Serbia? In an effort to answer this question, we will present a set of the most significant factors that have positioned China in this manner: characteristics of political relations, economic cooperation, military and security cooperation, cultural cooperation, the conduct of the Serbian political elite, and the influence of the media. To understand the success of China’s soft power in Serbia, this paper will prioritise two key factors: the significant influence exerted by Serbian political elites in shaping a pro-Chinese narrative and favourable portrayals in the media. The first part of the paper will focus on the attitudes of Serbian citizens towards the People’s Republic of China, which will serve as the primary indicator of its soft power in Serbia. The second part of the paper will use contextual analysis to present the key factors shaping China’s soft power in Serbia.

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