Military Diplomacy

[Bilingual] Militaries of China and Serbia to Write a New Chapter of Security and Development

【双语】中塞（尔维亚）两军共谱安全发展新篇

PLA Daily (解放军报) 28 May 2026

Summary

At the May 28 MND press conference, Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin described China-Serbia military ties as encompassing high-level visits, personnel training, and joint training, framing the relationship as deepening under Xi-Vučić strategic guidance. The statement's invocation of mutual support for 'core interests' and joint opposition to 'hegemonic bullying' extends the standard China-Serbia 'ironclad friends' framing into explicit alignment language—documenting how Beijing uses bilateral military diplomacy with European partners to build rhetorical coalitions against U.S.-led pressure. Serbia's position as a NATO candidate state that maintains close PLA ties makes this a useful baseline for tracking how far that relationship is publicly characterized as a strategic partnership rather than routine defense cooperation.

Translation

Militaries of China and Serbia to Write a New Chapter of Security and Development Militaries of China and Serbia to Write a New Chapter of Security and Development On the afternoon of May 28, the Ministry of National Defense held a routine press conference, at which Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin answered questions from reporters. Reporter: President Xi Jinping recently held talks with Serbian President Vučić. Could you please further introduce the state of military-to-military exchanges between China and Serbia? Question: President Xi Jinping recently held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Beijing. Could you please elaborate on the military-to-military engagement between China and Serbia? Jiang Bin: China and Serbia are ironclad friends who have weathered storms and stood together through adversity. Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries in the areas of high-level mutual visits, personnel training, and joint training have continued to deepen. The Chinese military is willing to work together with the Serbian side to strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, resolutely support each other's legitimate efforts to safeguard core interests, jointly oppose power politics and hegemonic bullying, write a new chapter of security and development together, and make a positive contribution to continuously advancing the building of the China-Serbia community with a shared future (命运共同体) in the new era. Jiang Bin: China and Serbia are ironclad friends who have stood together through thick and thin and weathered storms side by side. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral military cooperation—spanning high-level visits, personnel training and joint training—has continued to deepen. The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Serbian side to strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and render unequivocal support to each other's legitimate efforts in safeguarding core interests, oppose hegemony and bullying, write a new chapter of security and development, and make positive contributions to steadily advancing the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era.

Original Chinese

中塞（尔维亚）两军共谱安全发展新篇 Militaries of China and Serbia to Write a New Chapter of Security and Development 5月28日下午，国防部举行例行记者会，国防部新闻发言人蒋斌大校答记者问。记者：近期，国家主席习近平同塞尔维亚总统武契奇举行会谈。请进一步介绍中塞两军交往情况。 Question:President Xi Jinping recently held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Beijing. Could you please elaborate on the military-to-military engagement between China and Serbia? 蒋斌：中塞是历经风雨、患难与共的铁杆朋友。在两国元首战略引领下，两军在高层互访、人员培训、联合训练等领域交流合作不断深化。中国军队愿同塞方一道，加强战略沟通，深化务实合作，旗帜鲜明支持彼此维护核心利益的正当举措，共同反对强权霸凌，共谱安全发展新篇，为持续推进新时代中塞命运共同体建设作出积极贡献。 Jiang Bin:China and Serbia are ironclad friends who have stood together through thick and thin and weathered storms side by side. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral military cooperation—spanning high-level visits, personnel training and joint training—has continued to deepen. The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Serbian side to strengthen strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and render unequivocal support to each other's legitimate efforts in safeguarding core interests, oppose hegemony and bullying, write a new chapter of security and development, and make positive contributions to steadily advancing the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era.