Under the Dragon's Wings: Serbia in China's Orbit

Contribution to Hungarian Institute of International Affairs – Serbia and China The Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA), Hungary’s foreign policy research institute and think tank, published an analysis examining Serbia’s evolving strategic, economic and defence relationship with China and its implications for the country’s wider geopolitical positioning. The analysis, “Under the Dragon’s Wings: Serbia in China’s Orbit,” addresses Serbia’s growing Chinese defence cooperation, military procurement, economic ties and the broader strategic implications of China’s expanding role in the Western Balkans. My analysis, “The Protracted Path of the Western Balkans toward NATO Integration,” published by TRENDS Research & Advisory, contributed to the preparation of the HIIA analysis. The analysis examines the Western Balkans as a strategic component of Europe’s security architecture and addresses the implications of NATO integration, external influence, geopolitical competition and regional security. The inclusion of these considerations in an HIIA analysis places the Western Balkans within a broader institutional assessment of Serbia’s strategic positioning between European integration, NATO partnership, China and other external actors.