The upcoming military exercise between Serbian and Chinese forces should not be perceived as a mechanism for managing domestic unrest. Rather, it reflects China’s broader strategy to strengthen security partnerships through training and cooperation. Serbia views this as a chance to balance its relationships with major global players, while China aims to solidify long-term connections with the security frameworks of smaller nations to extend its influence.

This insight was shared with “Vijesti” by Vuk Vuksanović, a senior researcher at the Belgrade Center for Security Policy.

Chinese and Serbian special forces are set to engage in joint training named “Peacekeeper 2025” in Hebei province near Beijing during the latter half of July, according to Colonel Jiang Bin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Defense.

“This will mark the inaugural joint training involving the Chinese and Serbian armies,” Jiang stated, noting that this collaborative effort aims to enhance the combat readiness of the soldiers involved and deepen military cooperation between the two nations. However, specific details regarding the training’s content and duration have yet to be disclosed.

“China has long encountered scenarios where its economic interests and presence, including its companies and workforce across distant regions, are facing geopolitical and security threats. We saw this beginning in 2011 with the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya and the division of Sudan into northern and southern parts that same year. Furthermore, we observe that Chinese interests are increasingly vulnerable to terrorism in areas like Pakistan and Central Asia,” Vuksanović explains.

Establishing strong partnerships with security organizations tends to make those involved more susceptible to Chinese influence, as it creates networks of connections that can be exploited and a dependence on those relationships.

He emphasizes that China is confronted with the challenge of lacking a global security footprint akin to the United States and does not have a network of international alliances comparable to that of the US.

This necessity drives Beijing to extend the reach of its partnerships, positioning itself as an emerging power while forging connections even with distant and smaller nations like Serbia.

Vuksanović recalled China’s Global Security Initiative, announced in 2023, which committed to strengthening ties—including in training and education—with military, police, and security officials from partner countries globally, explicitly including Serbia.

From Serbia’s perspective, he notes, this is merely a continuation of its balancing strategy, with China clearly asserting itself as a significant ally.

“Over the past seven years, one could argue that China—not Russia—has become Serbia’s primary partner beyond the West,” he remarked.

In discussing how this military collaboration might impact Serbia’s foreign policy alignment, Vuksanović contends that the European Union’s response is not particularly significant.

“Ultimately, the critical challenge for Serbia involves balancing its relationships with the US and China, especially since China is poised to become America’s main competitor over the long term,” he stated.

It can be asserted that in the past seven years, China has emerged, rather than Russia, as Serbia’s foremost partner outside the West.

When asked if the forthcoming exercise serves any purpose in managing domestic turmoil, Vuksanović replied:

“This remains a military exercise for special forces and should not be viewed in that light.”

He also recalled a joint exercise undertaken by special police units from Serbia and China on Serbian soil in 2019.

During a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Moscow this past May, Chinese President Xi Jinping remarked: “China is prepared to enhance strategic communication with Serbia, bolster mutual support, advance trade and investment collaboration, and continue supporting the execution of relevant projects to achieve more mutually advantageous outcomes.”

Vučić frequently highlights the significance of the relationship with China, referring to it as a “sincere” and “iron friend” of Serbia.

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