Police clash with anti-government protesters in Serbia over student expulsion
Hundreds of protesters in Novi Pazar chanted slogans against Serbia's populist President Aleksandar Vucic and demanded that the students be allowed to return to the building.
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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Chinese Special Forces Train With New Ally in Europe
Photos released on Tuesday show China and Serbia—Beijing's new "friend" in Europe—conducting joint military exercises between their special forces in the East Asian country. The event, code-named Peace Guardian 2025, took place in Hebei Province, near China's capital city, in the second half of July, the Chinese military previously announced. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. China, a quasi-ally of Russia, has maintained close ties with Serbia, with the Balkan nation's leader, President Aleksandar Vučić, describing Beijing as his country's "most precious friend" during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow in May. While Serbia adopts a policy of military neutrality, refraining from joining collective defense organizations, it focuses on developing cooperation with individual partners, having acquired Chinese weapons, including drones and surface-to-air missile systems. The deepening ties between China and Serbia have raised concerns in the European Union about Belgrade's path toward European integration. Serbia has been a candidate country for EU membership since 2012 and is obliged to align its foreign policy with that of the EU. According to the Serbian Defense Ministry, the country's 72nd Special Operations Brigade conducted joint training with a Chinese military special operations unit from July 19 to 28. Officially released photos show participating soldiers engaged in a range of activities during Peace Guardian 2025, including shooting drills, indoor and outdoor maneuvers, and the use of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles at an undisclosed location in Hebei Province. "During the ten-day training, mixed combat teams carried out tactical tasks in urban and rural areas with support from unmanned platforms," the Serbian Defense Ministry said, adding that the event focused on the use of drones in the execution of special forces tasks. The joint training served as an opportunity to exchange experiences, compare knowledge, and improve skills in tactics, techniques, and procedures, according to Belgrade, which said the Chinese side "showed an exceptional level of organization and professionalism." The Serbian Foreign Ministry said the joint military activity boosted military cooperation and enhanced coordination in conducting missions alongside foreign militaries and in international environments, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Wednesday. Vuk Vuksanovic, a researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Serbia's cooperation with China aligns with Belgrade's foreign policy, which aims to maximize its independence by partnering with various global actors. The Serbian Defense Ministry, in a press release on Tuesday: "The training in China was the first joint training of the armies of the two countries. Its successful implementation has given an impetus to the strengthening of military-military cooperation and improved mutual understanding and the ability of combat teams to carry out tasks with foreign armed forces and in the international environment." Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, announced on July 14: "[Peace Guardian 2025] will be the first joint training between Chinese and Serbian militaries. It will help strengthen combat capabilities of participating troops and deepen cooperation between the two militaries." It remains to be seen whether China will conduct joint military activities with Serbia regularly in the future. China previously deployed troops to Belarus for combat training. Related Articles America's Toymakers are in TroubleChina Is Winning the Trade Talks With TrumpMap Shows US Ally's Bases Where New Counterstrike Missiles Could Hit ChinaIMF Upgrades Global Growth After Trump Backtracks 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
American Military News
2 days ago
- American Military News
Serbia-China Military Drills End Amid EU, US Objections
This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission. A Serbian military special operations brigade has completed joint training with a Chinese brigade in China despite strong objections from the European Union and the United States. The joint training ran from July 19-28 and took place in Hebei Province in northern China as Serbia, a candidate country for EU accession, tries to balance its European integration while maintaining close ties with Beijing and Moscow. 'The training provided a boost to military cooperation and enhanced the interoperability of combat teams in executing missions alongside foreign armed forces and in international environments,' Serbia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said. Serbia's Ministry of Defense said the joint training, which was announced two weeks ago, involved mixed combat teams rehearsing tactical missions in both urban and rural settings supported by unmanned platforms. 'The focus was on drone tactics in special forces operations, and the activities also included firearms, tactical, and mountaineering training,' the ministry said in a statement. It was the first joint military training between the two countries and the first between China and an EU candidate country. In recent years, Serbia has expanded its military cooperation with China, including the purchase of Chinese weaponry such as the FK-3 air defense system. Serbia's friendly policies toward Beijing have drawn a negative reaction from Brussels, which has issued multiple warnings to Belgrade. An EU spokesperson told RFE/RL earlier this month after the latest exercise, dubbed Peacekeeper 2025, that the bloc wants to know it can count on Serbia as a reliable European partner committed to common principles, values, and security. 'We need Serbia to assure us of its strategic orientation,' the spokesperson said. As a candidate country, Serbia is obliged to align its foreign policy with that of the EU, which Brussels has repeatedly brought to Belgrade's attention. Though Serbia maintains military neutrality it is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program, and its strategic goal remains EU accession. However, Belgrade continues to balance its foreign policy between the West, China, and Russia, which is currently under Western sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine. Security analyst Nikola Lunic earlier this month warned that these joint drills 'undermine Serbia's proclaimed EU orientation.' Lunic told RFE/RL that 'interoperability between Serbian and Chinese units sends a clear message to the West.' Brussels and Washington have repeatedly expressed concern about Serbia's arms purchases from Russia and China, especially since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Serbia purchased the FK-3 air defense system in 2022, two years after buying six new CH-92A drones from China. This made Serbia the first European operator of these Chinese missiles and combat drones. During a military equipment showcase in April 2023, Serbia unveiled the new Chinese CH-95 drone to the public. From Belgrade's perspective, this deepening cooperation is consistent with its 'multi-vector' foreign policy, using partnerships with diverse global actors to maximize its leverage and independence on the world stage, said Vuk Vuksanovic of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy. Vuksanovic pointed to the Global Security Initiative, highlighting increased military and police education exchanges and the rapid adoption of Chinese technology, surveillance, and police equipment by Serbia. Exercises such as Peacekeeper 2025 serve two key interests, according to Vuksanovic. They help Serbia gain international operations experience and boost its profile as a major power, especially given resistance from EU states against deepening partnerships with the Chinese military.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Chinese Special Forces Train With New Ally in Europe
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Photos released on Tuesday show China and Serbia—Beijing's new "friend" in Europe—conducting joint military exercises between their special forces in the East Asian country. The event, code-named Peace Guardian 2025, took place in Hebei Province, near China's capital city, in the second half of July, the Chinese military previously announced. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment via email. Why It Matters China, a quasi-ally of Russia, has maintained close ties with Serbia, with the Balkan nation's leader, President Aleksandar Vučić, describing Beijing as his country's "most precious friend" during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow in May. While Serbia adopts a policy of military neutrality, refraining from joining collective defense organizations, it focuses on developing cooperation with individual partners, having acquired Chinese weapons, including drones and surface-to-air missile systems. The deepening ties between China and Serbia have raised concerns in the European Union about Belgrade's path toward European integration. Serbia has been a candidate country for EU membership since 2012 and is obliged to align its foreign policy with that of the EU. What To Know According to the Serbian Defense Ministry, the country's 72nd Special Operations Brigade conducted joint training with a Chinese military special operations unit from July 19 to 28. Officially released photos show participating soldiers engaged in a range of activities during Peace Guardian 2025, including shooting drills, indoor and outdoor maneuvers, and the use of unmanned ground and aerial vehicles at an undisclosed location in Hebei Province. "During the ten-day training, mixed combat teams carried out tactical tasks in urban and rural areas with support from unmanned platforms," the Serbian Defense Ministry said, adding that the event focused on the use of drones in the execution of special forces tasks. The joint training served as an opportunity to exchange experiences, compare knowledge, and improve skills in tactics, techniques, and procedures, according to Belgrade, which said the Chinese side "showed an exceptional level of organization and professionalism." The Serbian Foreign Ministry said the joint military activity boosted military cooperation and enhanced coordination in conducting missions alongside foreign militaries and in international environments, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Wednesday. Vuk Vuksanovic, a researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Serbia's cooperation with China aligns with Belgrade's foreign policy, which aims to maximize its independence by partnering with various global actors. What People Are Saying The Serbian Defense Ministry, in a press release on Tuesday: "The training in China was the first joint training of the armies of the two countries. Its successful implementation has given an impetus to the strengthening of military-military cooperation and improved mutual understanding and the ability of combat teams to carry out tasks with foreign armed forces and in the international environment." Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, announced on July 14: "[Peace Guardian 2025] will be the first joint training between Chinese and Serbian militaries. It will help strengthen combat capabilities of participating troops and deepen cooperation between the two militaries." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether China will conduct joint military activities with Serbia regularly in the future. China previously deployed troops to Belarus for combat training.
