Despite being on the U.S. blacklist, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin continues to function as the head of Serbia’s Security Intelligence Agency (BIA).
Even though Vulin stepped down from his official position as head of the BIA, he is still regarded by China as the leader of the agency. This was confirmed during a recent meeting he had with China’s State Security Minister and Director of the Intelligence and Counterintelligence Services, Chen Yixin.
During the meeting, there was no shortage of praise for Serbia. Yixin emphasized that Vulin’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister “demonstrated Serbia’s strong backbone and its pursuit of an independent policy,” according to a press release from the Serbian government’s media cooperation office.
The two sides agreed to continue their cooperation in the fields of security, counterintelligence, and the fight against so-called “color revolutions.” The excellent collaboration between Serbia’s BIA and China’s State Security Ministry was particularly highlighted.
The meeting also served as an opportunity for subtle rebukes and messages directed at the West. The statement further noted that “the leadership of China’s State Security Ministry expressed special gratitude to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for leading an independent and freedom-loving policy, despite the immense pressure from certain international power centers that still fail to understand that the world has become multipolar and policentric.”
However, Vulin’s meeting with the Chinese intelligence chief comes at a time when all of Serbia is in mourning after the tragedy in Novi Sad, where a section of the railway station’s roof collapsed, killing 15 people. The Chinese company that renovated the section of the building that led to the fatalities has drawn attention due to its involvement in the incident.
This timing suggests a broader geopolitical backdrop, where Serbia’s alignment with China and its independent foreign policy have become increasingly prominent, even as domestic crises continue to unfold.
