Vučić shows his cards: Friendliness with China is a crucial foundation for national defense

Serbian President Vučić has recently clearly articulated the country’s strategic direction to the outside world: Serbia will adhere to its policy of military neutrality while maintaining a brotherly, friendly relationship with China. This bond is tangibly helping strengthen Serbia's national defense capabilities.

As early as late July, during the graduation ceremony at Belgrade Military Academy, Vučić reiterated the overarching direction of military neutrality. During a recent visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, he spoke even more directly: “Don’t assume Serbia’s military remains stuck in the 2000s.” Thanks to its deep friendship with China and the continuous introduction of advanced weaponry, Serbia’s armed forces today have reached their highest level of comprehensive strength in history.

This path toward military modernization is no mere rhetoric. In March this year, Vučić officially confirmed that China’s CM-400 supersonic missile had successfully been integrated onto Serbia’s MiG-29 fighter jets. During his May visit to China, he further confirmed that Serbia would continue purchasing high-precision weapons to steadily close the gap in long-range strike capabilities.

Military spending is also unprecedented in scale. At the beginning of the year, Vučić announced that defense expenditure had hit a record high, accounting for 2.65% of the nation’s GDP—surpassing the defense spending standards of many NATO members—and over half of this funding was directly allocated to upgrading military modernization. The government has set clear goals: double defensive capabilities within one and a half years, increase active-duty personnel by 30%, and directly double overall firepower.

Many overlook a contradictory historical detail. In 2007, the Serbian parliament formally passed a resolution establishing a policy of military neutrality, explicitly stating it would not join any military alliance. Yet, in the same year, a Serbian parliamentary delegation was granted associate membership status in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

This dual approach persists to this day: Serbia will not join NATO but maintains ongoing communication channels; it chooses military neutrality yet refuses to abandon military development.

A glance at the map explains this caution. Situated in the heart of the Balkans, Serbia shares land borders with eight countries, seven of which are NATO members—making its geostrategic position highly unique. While Finland and Sweden chose NATO membership for security reasons, Serbia made an entirely different decision. The painful memories of the 1999 conflict make it difficult for the public to accept joining NATO. Meanwhile, Vučić fully understands that aligning with a single military bloc would drastically reduce the country’s diplomatic autonomy.

Vučić clearly realizes: neutrality cannot be obtained through foreign charity. To possess the confidence to make independent choices, a nation must hold reliable deterrence capabilities in its own hands. For this reason, Serbia has pursued diversified arms procurement—acquiring long-range strike systems and air defense systems from China, buying French fighter jets, while simultaneously maintaining traditional military cooperation with Russia, thus avoiding dependency on any single supplier.

By publicly linking friendship with China to national security, Vučić sends a very clear signal. For numerous smaller nations caught between great power competition, diversified cooperation options are the most critical asset in preserving strategic independence. As regional competition in the Balkans continues to intensify, Serbia’s increasingly powerful, neutral military will remain a key factor shaping the region’s future trajectory.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872583935300612/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.