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Serbia has always been regarded by China as a "Serbian iron".
It can be called so by the Chinese people, mainly from March 2020, when Serbian President Vucic tearfully asked China to help solve the new crown problem.
Therefore, the relationship between China and Cyprus is very good.
In fact, not only China, but also China, Russia, and Cyprus have always had very good internal relations, and the Serbian side has also reported that it wants to buy fighter jets from China and Russia.
However, the latest news said that the Serbian side is ready to buy 12 fighter planes from Western countries, so why did Serbia make this decision?
Serbia and Sino-Russian relations
As we all know, Serbia has a complicated history. Serbia had established the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with Montenegro, but unfortunately in 1999 NATO had carried out a large-scale military bombardment of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Kosovo, which is part of Serbia, seized the opportunity to seek independence when NATO bombed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and finally found an opportunity to unilaterally declare secession from Serbia in 2008 with the support of the United States.
Serbia insists that Kosovo belongs to the Serbian side, that the Serbian side has absolute sovereignty over Kosovo, and refuses to recognize its independence.
(Serbian President Vučić)
The United States and many European countries support Kosovo's independence, while Russia and China choose to support Serbia when Serbia is isolated.
In fact, not only China and Russia support Serbia on the issue of sovereignty, but the Serbian side also adheres to the one-China principle, and the West asked Serbia to sanction Russia after the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but the Serbian side also decisively refused.
It is precisely because of the unanimous views and actions of China, Russia and Serbia on the issue of sovereignty that the relations between Serbia and China and Russia have developed closer, and China even affectionately calls Serbia "Serbian Iron".
In addition, the close relationship between China, Russia and Serbia is not only reflected in the sovereignty issue, China and Russia have also helped Serbia, and the Serbian people also recognize China and Russia.
For example, Serbia has purchased ammunition for Chinese FK-3 anti-aircraft missiles, drones, and Russian air defense systems such as the Pantsir-S1.
(Kosovo War)
According to a January 2023 poll by an American think tank, more than 60% of the Serbian people regard Russia as a great friend of Serbia, and they also recognize and like China, while only 18% prefer the United States.
These examples prove that China, Russia and Serbia are closely linked, not only to help with economic and energy weapons, but also to be more recognized and supported by public opinion.
Therefore, logically speaking, if the Serbian side wants to buy military weapons, it will most likely consider China and Russia first.
However, this time there was news that Serbia had purchased French fighter planes, so what was going on? What kind of calculation did Vučić make?
Vučić's abacus
On April 9, a surprising news broke that Serbia plans to buy 12 French Rafale multirole fighters for 3 billion euros.
At present, the Serbian Air Force mainly relies on Soviet-made MiG-29 fighters and aging Yugoslav fighters, and the introduction of Rafale fighters will greatly enhance Serbia's air combat capability and overall military strength.
After meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Vučić said that he would buy French Rafale fighter jets as soon as possible and would sign the contract in about two months.
Why did Serbian President Vučić, who has always put Sino-Russian relations first, make this decision?
(Vučić holds talks with NATO countries on Kosovo)
In fact, Serbia has been facing pressure from NATO, and Serbia wants to join the EU to ease the contradictions and develop the economy.
On the other hand, China and Russia will not deteriorate relations with the Cypriot side just because of the purchase of French fighter jets.
It was with these shrewd calculations that Vučić had the idea of buying fighters from Western countries.
And the reason why the Serbian side buys fighter jets is also because of the needs of national conditions.
In September 2023, Serbian residents clashed with the Kosovo Police, resulting in a total of four deaths.
After the incident, Serbia carried out a large-scale military build-up along the border with Kosovo, including mechanized infantry units, advanced artillery, tanks, etc., and NATO announced additional troops to support Kosovo.
NATO's support for Kosovo has made Serbia very unhappy. However, Vučić had to break the deadlock with Western countries.
Because, Serbia wants to apply for membership in the European Union.
Serbia became a candidate for EU membership in 2012, and the probationary period is now coming to an end, and Serbia is facing the situation of being evaluated by Western countries.
Therefore, Serbia must ease its contradictions with NATO and other Western countries, strive to gain the opportunity to enter the European Union, and buy fighter planes from France only to ease relations with the West.
In order not to neglect relations with China, Vučić immediately met with Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao on 10 April, saying that he attaches great importance to the relations between the two countries and that the Serbian side is willing to maintain a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with China.
In short, Serbia is now facing pressure from NATO because of the Kosovo issue, and easing relations with Western countries and joining the EU is what Vučić needs to do, so Vučić must give the West a little benefit.
In fact, it can be seen from this incident that it is difficult for small countries to survive in the international community, and sometimes it is necessary to find a balance between large countries, which can not help but make people feel sad. At the same time, it also makes us more determined that a strong country is the key to our ability to gain a firm foothold in the international arena and avoid bullying.
Resources
Serbia Wants to Buy Rafale Fighter Planes from France Reference information
Vučić: Serbia is about to buy 12 Rafale fighters Observer.com
The Serbian president tearfully asked for help from China, and this passage is worth pondering People's Daily
It is necessary to take care of people's souls, but also to take care of economic interests", Vučić: We are trying to survive China Youth Network