CIRSD Vice President Stefan Jovanović Speaks at Regional Conference on China’s Role in the Western Balkans

Belgrade, June 5, 2025 – Stefan Jovanović, Vice President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), participated in the regional conference “Democracy Meets Strategy: Parliament’s Place in China Policy”, held in Belgrade. The event gathered parliamentarians, policymakers, and experts from across the Western Balkans to examine the region’s evolving cooperation with the People’s Republic of China.

Speaking on a panel dedicated to assessing the scope and impact of China’s presence in the region, Jovanović underscored the need for strategic realism in Europe’s response to global power shifts.

“We Europeans are facing what I would describe as a three-body problem — a geopolitical dilemma in which Europe is caught between the gravitational pulls of the United States, Russia, and China,” Jovanović stated. “Europe must adopt a more pragmatic approach — we cannot afford to be in strained relationships with all major powers at once.”

He cautioned against the European Union’s prevailing tendency to define China primarily as a strategic rival, warning that this perspective risks closing off opportunities for constructive engagement. “Europe should avoid a lose-lose dynamic and instead seek out areas for win-win cooperation,” he said, pointing in particular to the green transition as a space full of potential.

“Green transition is a strategic decision for Europe, where it leads in regulation; meanwhile, China leads in scalable technologies — from electric vehicles and hydrogen to solar power,” Jovanović noted. He highlighted the example of Chinese EV manufacturer BYD, which has become an official mobility partner of UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany and is constructing its first European plant in Hungary.

Turning to Serbia, Jovanović described cooperation with China as part of a broader multi-vector foreign policy. “We don’t have the luxury of relying on a single global pole. Our engagement with China has delivered visible infrastructure results” he said. “There are still lessons to be learned — particularly regarding transparency and long-term sustainability — but the foundations are tangible.”

The conference featured a dynamic exchange of views on how national institutions can navigate global complexities while upholding democratic values and development priorities. Participants included parliamentarians and civil society leaders from North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.

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