Vucic signs 23 bilateral agreements with China in Beijing
The Serbian president pledged to deepen cooperation with Xi Jinping in the economy, education and technology; the opposition is asking about the terms.
President Aleksandar Vucic arrived in Beijing on 24 May for a multi-day official visit to the People’s Republic of China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, opening the first formal head-of-state meeting at presidential level on Chinese soil. During the protocol part of the visit, 23 bilateral agreements were signed with the Chinese hosts covering the economy, education, technological development and innovation, the Glas Srpske portal reported in a dispatch on 24 May.
In a statement on arrival, Vucic said he expected the visit to “open a new chapter in relations between Serbia and China”, describing Xi as a “sincere and great friend of Serbia”. The trip followed earlier meetings between the two presidents in Belgrade and in Beijing on the occasion of last year’s military parade. The stay in the Chinese capital will last, according to the president’s office, until 28 May, with a planned tour of industrial sites in Hubei province.
The total value of the signed agreements was not made fully public at the time this report went to press. The Serbian Chamber of Commerce, whose business delegation accompanied the presidential visit, said the talks covered additional investment projects in the automotive industry, battery technology and educational cooperation with Chinese universities. Specific contracts and their values, the Chamber said, will be presented individually by the companies in the weeks ahead.
How is Brussels viewing Serbia’s deepening ties with Beijing?
In terms of relations with the European Union, the visit comes a week after the working dinner that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa hosted in Brussels for Vucic and Albanian leader Edi Rama. The Euronews portal reports that Brussels is watching Serbia’s deepening ties with Beijing with concern at a moment when the opening of further negotiation clusters is expected. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has previously cautioned that Belgrade must carefully weigh Chinese influence against its own European integration.
From the opposition ranks, Marinika Tepic said the public should see the full texts of the signed agreements, because “investments of one billion euros cannot remain secret after the return from Beijing”. The Democratic Party of Serbia said it supports closer ties with China, but is asking the parliament to consider any strategic document accompanying the bilateral contracts. From the ruling side, Speaker Brnabic described the agenda of the visit as “an exceptionally serious step in multi-vector foreign policy”.
Vucic has been put up in a Beijing state residence which, according to his Chinese hosts, has previously housed Russian President Vladimir Putin, former US President Richard Nixon and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, a protocol signal read in Chinese diplomatic practice as conferring the highest guest rank. On the Serbian side, besides the president, Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali are present, while the business delegation is led by Chamber of Commerce president Marija Marinkovic. From what we understand, some of the talks with the Chinese partners are planned in a closed format covering the future of the Bor copper mine, where China’s Zijin already operates as majority owner.
A meeting between Vucic and Chinese Premier Li Qiang is set for 25 May, while a joint statement with President Xi is expected at the close of the visit. Chinese media reports, carried by Tanjug, also flag the signing of a cooperation agreement on artificial intelligence, although the document’s text has not yet been published. On the Serbian side, besides the president, Foreign Minister Marko Djuric and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali are present.
The full balance of the visit will become clear on 28 May, after Vucic’s return to Belgrade. The president’s office has announced an address to the public immediately after his arrival, with a review of all signed documents and the expected gains for the Serbian economy. Until then, the question remains how the investment figure, which the president had earlier put at around one billion euros, will break down by sector.
