Members of Serbia’s 72nd Special Operations Brigade and a Chinese special forces unit have completed joint military exercises in Hebei Province, China, held from July 19 to July 28, marking the first-ever such collaboration between the two nations.
According to Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
“The exercises strengthened military cooperation and improved the interoperability of combat teams in executing missions alongside foreign armed forces in an international environment.”
Despite being a candidate for European Union membership, Serbia maintains close military, economic, and political ties with both Beijing and Moscow. In recent years, Serbia has significantly intensified its military cooperation with China, purchasing advanced Chinese weaponry—despite ongoing warnings from Brussels and Washington.
In 2020, Serbia became the first country in Europe to acquire FK-3 Chinese air defense systems, and has since expanded its arsenal with CH-92A drones and additional FK-3 systems in 2022. During a military equipment showcase in April 2023, Chinese-made weapons and gear were prominently displayed by Serbian forces.
The joint drills, titled “Peacekeeper 2025”, included various tactical challenges in both urban and rural environments. Special focus was placed on the use of drones in combat operations and live-fire exercises, the Serbian Ministry of Defense confirmed.
Serbia’s growing military partnership with China continues to draw criticism from Western allies. Following the announcement of the exercises, the European Union reiterated its concern, stating that Serbia, as an EU membership candidate, is expected to align its foreign policy with that of the bloc.
“We need Serbia to convince us of its strategic orientation,” an EU official told Radio Free Europe at the time.
Although militarily neutral, Serbia is a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program. Still, its balancing act between East and West—nurturing ties with China and Russia while pursuing EU integration—remains a contentious issue, especially in light of ongoing Western sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.
