Chinese Economic Influence in Serbia: The Malign Synergy of Pollution and Illiberalism

In the Western Balkans, the Republic of Serbia has become a hub of Chinese economic presence and influence. Our article investigates the malign impact of Sino–Serbian economic cooperation on all security sectors and levels. We focus on the negative side of the cooperation, omitting the potential positive externalities. We argue that Sino–Serbian economic cooperation plays a synergic role in cementing Serbian authoritarianism. While the malign environmental externalities of the cooperation are provoking an ecological uprising and the democratisation struggles go hand-in-hand with the environmental ones, societal resilience is still weak and both Chinese and Serbian authoritarian regimes are winning against Serbian civil society.