Serbia Confirms Premier's Resignation Amid Months of Protests
Hundreds of thousands gathered in capital Belgrade last Saturday in what has emerged as the biggest challenge to President Aleksandar Vucic in the more than a decade he's dominated politics as prime minister or president. The Balkan nation has been rocked by demonstrations since November, when a roof collapse at a railway station killed 15 people.
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American Military News
20-07-2025
- American Military News
Planned Serbia-China Military Exercise Sparks EU Backlash
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. BELGRADE — Serbia will conduct military training exercises with China this month, becoming the first-ever EU candidate to do so as the two countries take a new step toward deepening military cooperation. China's Defense Ministry said the 'Peacekeeper 2025' training will be comprised of special units from the Chinese and Serbian armies and held in Hebei Province, northern China, in the second half of July. The Balkans region has become strategically important for China, which has invested in massive infrastructure projects there. In particular, it has signed a free-trade agreement with Serbia, while Belgrade has purchased weapons from Beijing, becoming the first European country to acquire a Chinese air defense system. Serbia's friendly policies toward Beijing — as well as Moscow — have set off alarm bells in Brussels, which has issued multiple warnings to Belgrade, which aims to join the bloc. That tone was evident in the EU's assessment of the planned military training with China, with Brussels saying Serbia should refrain from 'actions and statements that contradict the EU's foreign policy positions.' In response to questions by RFE/RL, an EU spokesperson said that the bloc wants to know it can count on Serbia as a reliable European partner committed to common principles, values, and security. 'We need Serbia to assure us of its strategic orientation,' the spokesperson added. As a candidate country, Serbia is obliged to align its foreign policy with that of the EU, which Brussels has repeatedly brought to Belgrade's attention. Serbia maintains military neutrality and is a member of NATO's 'Partnership for Peace' program, with EU accession as its strategic goal. Belgrade's Balancing Act However, Belgrade continues to balance its foreign policy between the West, China, and Russia, which is currently under Western sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine. Security analyst Nikola Lunic warned that these joint drills 'undermine Serbia's proclaimed EU orientation.' Lunic told RFE/RL that 'interoperability between Serbian and Chinese units sends a clear message to the West.' Last July, Chinese forces held maneuvers with the Belarusian Army directly on NATO's border during a summit of the military alliance's leaders in Washington where there was sharp criticism of Beijing for its support of Russia. While the stated goal by China's Defense Ministry is to 'improve combat capabilities and deepen cooperation,' neither Serbia's Defense Ministry nor the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade disclosed details on participants or the numbers expected to be involved in Peacekeeper 2025. There is no clarity either on whether future joint training will be hosted in Serbia, a common practice in such collaborations. Lunic argues the drills fit the profile of a full military exercise, not simply training, due to their scope and branding. NATO did not respond to a request by RFE/RL for comment on the drills. Chinese Weapons In Serbia's Arsenal Serbia's military cooperation with China is most visible in its recent acquisitions. The Serbian Army procured six CH-92A drones in 2020 and unveiled the CH-95 at an exhibition in 2023, but official numbers remain undisclosed. In 2022, Serbia received the FK-3 air defense system, making it the first European operator of this advanced Chinese missile tech. Late in 2024, Belgrade confirmed that Serbian personnel had received training in China on the FK-3 system, capable of targeting a range of aerial threats. Washington and Brussels have repeatedly expressed concern over Serbia's procurement of Russian and Chinese arms, especially after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In the wake of the invasion, Serbia imposed a moratorium on joint military exercises with foreign partners, exempting only the 'Platinum Wolf' international exercise — historically held in Serbia with the participation of several NATO members, including the United States. Lunic argues this selective application of the moratorium undermines the credibility of Serbia's proclaimed neutrality. Security Ties Before Military Drills This is not the first example of security cooperation between Belgrade and Beijing. Joint police exercises and patrols have taken place since 2019, demonstrating a broader trend of intensified cooperation. Vuk Vuksanovic of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy points to the Global Security Initiative, highlighting increased military and police education exchanges and the rapid adoption of Chinese technology, surveillance, and police equipment by Serbia. From Belgrade's perspective, this deepening cooperation is consistent with its 'multi-vector' foreign policy, using partnerships with diverse global actors, including NATO, Russia, the EU, and China, to maximize its leverage and independence on the world stage. China's Broader Goals And Growing Trade Vuksanovic said that, for China, military collaborations such as Peacekeeper 2025 serve two key interests: gaining international operations experience and boosting its profile as a major power, especially given resistance from EU states against deepening partnerships with the Chinese military. After a humanitarian-focused joint drill with Germany in 2019, and anti-terrorism exercises with Belarus in 2024, the Serbia exercise represents a new chapter in Beijing's military diplomacy with Europe. Economically, China's influence in Serbia is growing. Xi Jinping's May 2024 visit to Belgrade resulted in a declaration to deepen the strategic partnership and 'build a Serbia-China community with a shared future in a new era.' China is now Serbia's top trade partner for imports, with €5.13 billion euros ($5.95 billion) recorded in 2024, and remains a vital source of investment, loans, and diplomatic support in international institutions, especially regarding Kosovo's independence.
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Miami Herald
China's Military Flexes Muscles With Putin Ally
China has announced that it will conduct joint military training with Serbia, one of Russia's major allies in Europe, later this month as Beijing expands its foreign military cooperation. Newsweek has contacted Serbia's Defense Ministry for further comment via email. Serbia-which is not a member of the European Union-has maintained close ties with both Russia and China, with President Aleksandar Vučić describing China as "Serbia's most precious friend." The training is part of the growing military cooperation between the countries. The East Asian power provided air defense systems to the Balkan nation to help protect its airspace, raising concerns in the United States about Serbia's path toward European integration. In addition to rapidly building up its capabilities, the Chinese military has strengthened its relations with foreign counterparts through bilateral activities. From mid-April to early May, the Chinese and Egyptian air forces conducted joint training in the North African country. Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said on Monday that China would host the Peace Guardian-2025 joint training in Hebei Province-near the capital city of Beijing-in the second half of July, involving Chinese and Serbian army special forces. "This will be the first joint training between Chinese and Serbian militaries," the Chinese military official said, adding that the bilateral activity would help strengthen the combat capabilities of participating troops and deepen cooperation between the two armed forces. However, details of the training-including its content and duration-remain unclear. Neither China nor Serbia has announced the arrival of Serbian army special forces in China. Prior to the announcement of the training, the Chinese state-run Global Times published an interview on July 10 with Serbian Lieutenant Colonel Dalibor Aleksic, who commands an air defense unit operating two China-supplied weapon systems: the FK-3 and the HQ-17AE. The Serbian military officer said both Chinese air defense systems were satisfactory, praising their combat capabilities, performance, reliability, and ease of use and maintenance. Serbia's acquisition of Chinese air defense systems contributed to the further strengthening of friendship and cooperation between the two nations, Aleksic told Global Times, adding that, as a weapons expert, he was also fascinated by "many other Chinese weapon systems." Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in May: "China is ready to deepen strategic communication with Serbia, enhance mutual support, strengthen cooperation in trade and investment, continue supporting the construction and operation of relevant projects, give full play to their demonstrative effect, and achieve more outcomes that deliver mutual benefit and win-win results." Vuk Vuksanovic, a senior researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, told RFE/RL's Balkan Service in May 2024: "Serbia has demonstrated once again that China, not Russia, is its most important partner in the East at the moment, especially with Russian-Serbian ties under constant scrutiny because of Ukraine." While Serbia is likely to make additional purchases of Chinese military equipment, it remains to be seen whether China will send its troops to Serbia for joint training in the future. Related Articles China and India's Top Officials Meet Amid Tensions Over Pakistan, BorderChina Responds to Lindsey Graham Russia ThreatUS and Allies Train Forces for Pacific War With ChinaTaiwan Deploys HIMARS, Patriot, Stinger Weapons in China Invasion Exercise 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Time Business News
15-07-2025
- Time Business News
Trump Junior forms new alliance in Europe
Donald Trump Jr., completed a tour of Eastern Europe aimed at supporting political allies and encouraging local businesses to cooperate with Washington rather than Beijing. The trip, dubbed 'Trump Business Vision 2025,' was Trump Jr.'s second visit to Eastern Europe after his father's return to the White House. After stops in Hungary and dinner with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Trump Jr. visited Bulgaria and Romania. This trip highlighted Washington's break with its traditional American allies in Western Europe. 'American investors are avoiding Western Europe because of excessive regulation,' Trump Jr. said at a private dinner in Bucharest. According to Western experts, Trump Jr.'s meetings were not limited to real estate and financial transactions, but were aimed at establishing contacts with people who are more in line with Trump's desire to destroy the liberal order. It is noteworthy that Trump Jr. visited Romania on the eve of the presidential elections, which will be held on May 4, and met with former Prime Minister Victor Ponta, a presidential contender who supported the MAGA movement. Trump Jr. also had talks with former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. Another person who met with Trump Jr. was Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban, who assembled an alliance of political forces to oppose the pro-European government of President Maia Sandu. 'I met Donald Trump Jr. at an event in Bucharest. We discussed a number of topics, including relations between Moldova and the United States. We agreed to continue the dialogue. Make Moldova Great Again,' Cheban wrote. Meanwhile, it became known that the United States was facing its first economic downturn since 2022. In particular, it is reported that in the first quarter of this year, US GDP decreased by 0.3%, which was the result of a decrease in government spending and an increase in imports, as companies, frightened by Trump's tariffs, increased imports of foreign products by 50% As Reuters reported in February, coalition of opposition parties was created in Moldova in advance of parliamentary elections. The 'Alternative' coalition will bring together Chișinău mayor Ion Ceban's party, former prime minister Ion Chicu's party and former lawmaker Marc Tcaciuc's party. The coalition is for the European integration of the country, and criticizes the current president Maia Sandu and her PAS party for being inefficient and ignoring the public interest. Still others took the opportunity to poke fun at the Mayor of Chișinău. One user said: 'Make Ceban Smart Again!' TIME BUSINESS NEWS
