China and Serbia Set to Conduct Joint Military Exercise
The armed forces of China and Serbia are preparing for their inaugural joint military exercise named “Peace Guardian 2025,” which will take place in China’s northern Hebei province during the latter half of July. Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, emphasized that this exercise aims to enhance the combat capabilities of the troops involved while fostering deeper cooperation between the two nations’ militaries.
This significant event marks the first instance of China partaking in a combat-focused military drill alongside a prospective member of the European Union. Nevertheless, this is not the first collaboration between China and a European country. In July 2019, China conducted a joint military exercise centered on humanitarian aid and medical support with Germany, and in July 2024, it participated in counterterrorism drills with Belarus, a nation aligned with Russia.
Serbia’s Unique Position in Europe
Though Serbia strives to maintain a neutral military posture, it has been nurturing strong ties with China, positioning itself as one of Beijing’s closest allies in Europe. The two countries formalized their comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016, aimed primarily at bolstering trade and economic collaboration. This relationship has further solidified, with Serbia and China reaffirming their commitment to military cooperation in March 2021.
Interestingly, Serbia stands out as the only European nation actively utilizing Chinese military equipment. The Balkan country was the first in Europe to procure Chinese drones, specifically the CH-92A and CH-95 models, in 2020. Moreover, in 2022, Serbia received the export variant of China’s HQ-22 integrated air defense system, known as the FK-3, which was officially incorporated into its military arsenal in January of this year.
