Like Serbia, the EU should be open to partnership with China

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OpinionAleksandar VučićLike Serbia, the EU should be open to partnership with China

Serbia’s experience proves that cooperation with China brings concrete benefits to ordinary people, workers and families

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Aleksandar VučićAleksandar Vučić is President of the Republic of Serbia. Published: 11:00am, 24 May 2026

As I return to China, I do so with an abiding sense of respect for a nation that has become one of Serbia’s most indispensable partners and a defining force of our century. In Europe, discussions about China are too often clouded by suspicion and strategic anxiety. I understand that every major political community must guard its future, but I believe Europe should approach China not with fear and suspicion but with confidence and a serious, open-eyed willingness to cooperate.

Serbia has chosen the path of openness. And our experience proves that partnership with China brings concrete benefits to ordinary people, workers and families. In many ways, Serbia has become a trailblazer in Europe for a brand of partnership that is both practical and mutually beneficial. Long before connectivity became a buzzword, we understood the importance of building bridges between East and West.

Through our framework with central and Eastern Europe, the relationship has matured into a broad and enduring partnership – and its fruits are now visible across our landscape in infrastructure, energy and technology.

AdvertisementThe heartbeat of this relationship remains the steel mill in Smederevo. When President Xi Jinping visited Serbia in 2016, we travelled together to a plant that stood on the brink of collapse. At that moment, thousands of families feared for their future, and the fate of an entire city was uncertain. Then came Chinese investment and, just as important, Chinese confidence.

The revitalisation of the mill by HBIS Group was more than an economic project. It was proof that together we could restore dignity where others saw only decline. Today, 5,000 people are employed there directly, and thousands more depend on its success. What was once a symbol of industrial uncertainty has become a testament to renewal.

I remember clearly the atmosphere during that 2016 visit. The workers welcomed Xi not as a remote foreign dignitary, but as a leader who understood their travails intimately and recognised their potential fully. Those images remain deeply etched in the memory of Serbians.

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