Xi Jinping banks on Hungary and Serbia in the face of growing tensions between China and Europe

Choosing two friendly countries that have their own tensions with Brussels, from inside the bloc in the case of Hungary and from outside in the case of Serbia, is considered a safe choice by diplomatic analysts.

Some of these observers believe the tour will offer China an opportunity to assess how it is perceived in Europe, consolidate established ties and present its vision of a multipolar world by highlighting a lingering scar in its relations with the West.

These visits will certainly be an important step in contemporary relations between China and Europe, said Stefan Vladisavljev, program coordinator of the Serbia-based BFPE Foundation for Responsible Society.

Marking the embassy bombing will send a message to the public both in China and Serbia, Vladisavljev said.

This moment of common victimization played an important role in creating a very important symbolism in both countries, the need to present the West as an antagonist, Vladisavljev said.

He said that in the long term this creates distance between China and Serbia on the one hand, and the countries gathered around NATO on the other, but for now the focus is on on the domestic stage.

Wang Yiwei, a specialist in European studies at Renmin University, said the commemoration would likely focus on the negative impact of NATO enlargement, but he did not expect the United States to United be the main target in light of the easing of tensions with Washington.

The establishment of a multipolar world and the democratization of international relations, I think these are messages that China wants to convey, he declared.

02:21

Chinese factory in Serbia arrested over allegations of abuse, trafficking of Vietnamese migrant workers

Chinese factory in Serbia arrested over allegations of abuse, trafficking of Vietnamese migrant workers

Europeans themselves must take more responsibility for Europe's security and order, otherwise they will become victims.

During his last visit to Serbia in 2016, the first trip by a Chinese president to that country in 32 years, his first public event was to pay tribute to the victims of the barbaric strike carried out by NATO forces led by the United States at the site of the attack.

The embassy was hit during the 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, which began after Serb-dominated forces under the leadership of Slobodan Miloevis were accused of widespread atrocities against the Albanian population of Kosovo.

US missiles killed three Chinese journalists in the building and injured 20 diplomats.

The United States insisted the bombing was an accident, blaming faulty maps, and apologized to China.

Beijing rejected this as unacceptable and the incident sparked widespread anti-US and anti-NATO protests across the country, including a siege of the US embassy in China.

The trauma continues to reverberate today. In a signed article published Tuesday in Serbian newspaper Politika, Xi said NATO blatantly bombed the embassy, ​​killing three journalists Shao Yunhuan, Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying.

We should never forget it. The Chinese people cherish peace, but we will never allow such a tragic story to happen again. The China-Serbia friendship, forged with the blood of our compatriots, will remain in the common memory of the Chinese and Serbian people and inspire us to take great strides forward, Xi wrote.

Beijing has been increasingly at odds with NATO in recent years, repeatedly accusing it of practicing a Cold War mentality and creating confrontation in the Asia-Pacific region.

The possible extension of the Aukus security treaty between the United States, Britain and Australia has also drawn the ire of China, which has warned the act would create a NATO-like bloc in the region against it .

The country has also accused the eastward expansion of transatlantic groups of fueling the war in Ukraine, citing the Belgrade embassy bombing as a precedent.

Xi is also expected to celebrate the opening of the Chinese Cultural Center, one of the largest in Europe and built on the site of the former embassy, ​​and the trip will highlight the close relations between Beijing and Belgrade.

China's Foreign Ministry said Xi would discuss improving relations between the two sides during his meeting with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vui.

Beijing considers Serbia an ironclad friend, a title it has only offered to a handful of its most trusted countries, such as Pakistan and Cambodia.

China was also Serbia's second-largest arms supplier between 2020 and 2023, behind Russia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Vladisavljev said promoting close ties with Russia became less popular in Serbia after Ukraine's invasion, leaving a void that China could fill.

Serbia is a safe choice [for the trip], he said. This is a visit to a friendly country, where the Chinese president will be warmly welcomed.

03:31

Chinese steel mill rains thick, greasy dust on Serbian town facing rising cancer cases

Chinese steel mill rains thick, greasy dust on Serbian town facing rising cancer cases

He said both sides should celebrate the milestones achieved, but they should also announce a new joint project.

He also hopes Vui will use Xi's visit, which he described as one of the highest-profile visits in years, to try to secure a much-needed political victory on the national stage.

According to him, this is due to the development of several scenarios that were considered a loss, especially the one regarding relations with Kosovo.

Meanwhile, Serbia has struggled to counter broad support across Europe for Kosovo's membership in international institutions such as the Council of Europe, fearing that this amounts to recognition of its independence .

The two countries can also support each other on territorial issues, with neither country recognizing the independence of Kosovo or Taiwan.

Economic ties are also strong, with China becoming Serbia's second largest trading partner, behind Germany, according to official Serbian figures.

The two countries signed a free trade agreement last year after just a few months of negotiations and China is now the country's main source of foreign investment.

Belgrade was one of the first European countries to join the Belt and Road Initiative and has become an important hub and gateway to Europe for the global infrastructure development strategy.

Among the highest-profile investments that resulted were a previously loss-making steel mill in Smederevo, which began generating profits six months after being bought by Hebei's HBIS Group, and the flagship rail link between Belgrade and the Hungarian capital. Budapest.

Wang, of Renmin University, said the railway would be a priority for Xi's European tour.

The Hungary-Serbia railway represents a huge boost for European infrastructure, he said. In the future, cooperation between China and Europe in investment, manufacturing and localization will also need to be strengthened.

Hungary will be the final stop on Xi's European tour, between Wednesday and Friday. This is his first visit as head of state.

As the EU and NATO have both taken a tougher line on Beijing, Hungary's support as a member of both groups has become increasingly important to China.

China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, last week urged Hungary to promote a rational and friendly view of China after it assumes the bloc's rotating presidency in July.

The EU's perception of China has changed, said Shi Zhiqin, a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University.

If everything emphasizes security, that is, it becomes too secure and politicized, then many opportunities for cooperation will be lost, which is not in line with the current trend of globalization, he said. he declared.

Following a recent visit to Beijing, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced additional funding for railway projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as an investment of 22 million dollars from Chinese state-owned Fiberhome Telecom Tech to build a base in the country for the production of optical cables. .

Shi said he hoped the tour would deepen existing relations with Serbia and Hungary and lead to even better cooperation in the future.

Earlier this week, Xi was in France to mark the 60th and 75th anniversaries of China's establishment of diplomatic relations with Paris and Budapest, respectively.

But beyond this symbolism, Vladisavljev said the entire visit would provide a litmus test for the current state of Europe's perception of China.