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Xi Jinping’s Serbia visit elevates China as ‘natural partner’ for hi-tech, advanced arms sales, analysts say
- Weapons sales, security cooperation ‘destined to increase’, experts say, as China opens ‘new chapter’ in Serbian ties
- Deeper collaboration will intensify ‘competition for influence’ in the Balkans between Washington and Beijing
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Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Serbia is likely to increase hi-tech weapons ties between the two countries, and intensify a “competition for influence” in the Balkans between the United States and China for advanced arms sales, analysts said.
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During Xi’s meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the two sides agreed to jointly develop “new quality productive forces” and build hi-tech industrial cooperation projects, while also pledging to “deepen cooperation in space science and technology”, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
Xi also wrote an opinion piece that was published in Serbia’s Politika newspaper on Tuesday and said: “We should expand cooperation in technological innovation, advanced manufacturing, green energy, digital economy, artificial intelligence and other emerging areas.”
Xi framed the visit as “opening a new chapter” in bilateral relations during his meeting with Vucic, as the two countries signed a pledge to deepen and elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership and announced that they would “build a community with a shared future”.
Although it did not specify military cooperation, the joint statement issued afterward said both sides promised to cooperate in fighting terrorism.
The deal to boost hi-tech industry and anti-terrorism cooperation comes as Serbia has been increasing military ties with China, notably in procuring advanced weapons systems, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missile defence systems.
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