Pioneering partnership

Serbian-Chinese strategic partnership is an example of promising South-South cooperation

Contemporary international politics is undergoing a period of deep structural transformations, in which bilateral relations are increasingly becoming precise indicators of broader global processes. The state visit of the president of Serbia to China in May opened up significant space for observing how bilateral partnerships shape the position of states in an increasingly fluid world order. During this visit, the two sides focused on deepening cooperation and implementing the concept of "a community with a shared future", and signed 23 bilateral agreements, reflecting the multidimensional nature of the two countries' relationship.

Both sides frequently use the term "ironclad friendship" to describe and emphasize the strength and continuity of their relationship, which goes far beyond mere economic exchanges to encompass strategic alignment.

Europe has developed a complex policy toward China, treating it simultaneously as an economic partner and a strategic rival. However, China is an important trade partner not only for Europe, but also for many individual European countries. It is clear that their trade relations remain sound even though some deny the fact that the Europe-China and Serbia-China trade ties are mutually beneficial.

Serbia's relations with China are multilayered. For instance, according to China's General Administration of Customs, total bilateral trade grew from $596 million in 2016 to $6.48 billion in 2025, representing more than a tenfold increase in less than a decade. In addition, Serbia was among the first European countries to abolish the visa requirements for Chinese citizens, and the free trade agreement, which entered into force in 2024, further deepened economic ties between the two countries.

A particularly impressive dimension of the Serbian president's state visit to China was the signing of a joint statement on promoting the four global initiatives that China has proposed, namely the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative. China actively promotes these frameworks as a model of cooperation among Global South countries, and as a reference and support for a United Nations-centered global governance system, as they uphold the principles of non-intervention, multipolarity and the right of every sovereign state to independently define its own development path. By aligning with this conceptual framework, Serbia explicitly sides with those countries that would work together to build a fairer and more inclusive international order.

Serbia has become a pioneer in advancing China's four initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe. Having signed a memorandum of understanding with the China International Development Cooperation Agency in October 2023, Serbia now leverages the Global Development Initiative as an important instrument to advance its modernization, and above all, to serve its core national interests.

Cooperation between Serbia and China can also be viewed as a major case study of the South-South cooperation model. Its success depends on the ability to achieve real transfer of technology, knowledge and sustainable development practices alongside traditional economic exchanges. According to HBIS Group, one of China's largest State-owned steelmakers, China-Serbia cooperation in green steelmaking has achieved a major breakthrough, with researchers confirming that Serbian iron ore can meet green steel standards through hydrogen metallurgy. This shows that Chinese investment can also help modernize Serbia's existing industrial capacities and empower Serbia's green development.

Thus, the next phase of this partnership can focus more on measurable and concrete development outcomes. In practice, this implies significantly greater involvement of universities, domestic research centers and local business entities, as well as stricter alignment of infrastructure projects with international environmental protection and public finance transparency standards.

The areas where the announced cooperation appears most promising include green energy, the digital economy and artificial intelligence, all of which could expand economic ties through knowledge transfer. China is a global leader in green development, and Serbia could become a bridge for the transfer of this expertise to European markets and consumers if it implements facilitating policies and pools resources to help the whole country gradually build institutional capacities for absorbing that knowledge from China and developing local solutions based on Serbia's national conditions.

As Serbia aspires to European Union membership, every project must be "EU-ready". Serbia can play the role of a "translator" between Chinese development models and European regulatory frameworks.

To summarize, Serbian-Chinese relations in 2026 can represent one of the most illustrative examples of South-South cooperation. They can inspire other Global South countries to explore their own ways of sustainable development. Serbia, as a small country in the heart of Europe, possesses limited room for geopolitical balancing. The historical experience of countries in similar positions shows that short-term gains from diversification can easily be neutralized by long-term uncertainty if the strategic orientation remains vague. Therefore, in an era of global turmoil and increasingly pronounced multipolarity, the ability to balance smartly, manage risks and conduct foreign policy pragmatically will become a key survival test for all states striving to preserve their room to maneuver. Serbian-Chinese cooperation is mutually beneficial and will contribute to a more stable and inclusive model of global governance with concrete institutional results on the ground.

The author is a professor at the Faculty of Diplomacy and Security at University Union Nikola Tesla in Belgrade, Serbia.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.