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.
Why It Matters
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.
What To Know
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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić shaking hands after signing bilateral documents during a meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić shaking hands after signing bilateral documents during a meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 8, 2024.
ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images
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.”
What People Are Saying
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.”
What Happens Next
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.