Serbia's purchase of missile defence system from China shows deepening ties

Serbia has bought a new generation of medium-range, radar-guided surface-to-airmissiles from China in a new sign of deepening cooperation between Beijing and Belgrade.

Thepurchaseof the FK-3missiledefencesystemwas included in state-run arms company Jugoimport SDPR's annual report, submitted to the state Business Registers Agency last week and seen by Reuters.

Jugoimport SDPR said it made 163 import deals with 31 countries for $620.3 million in 2019. The weaponspurchases included armed drones from China and Europe's first knownpurchaseof the FK-3.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

"The biggest part of imports is related to the modernisation of MIG-29 planes, the procurement of dronesystems, ... (and) air-defencesystemFK-3," it said.

Beijing sees Serbia as part of its One Belt, One Road initiative, which is aimed at opening new foreign trade links for Chinese companies.

In 2018, the Jugoimport SDPR made 162 import deals with 32 countries, worth $482.7 million, includingpurchases of Russian-made helicopter gunships and transport helicopters.

China has invested billions of euros in the Balkan country, mainly in soft loans, infrastructure and energy projects.

In late June, Serbia's air force received six CH-92A combat drones armed with laser-guidedmissiles, the first such deployment of Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles in Europe.

Serbia, which hopes to join the European Union, declared military neutrality in 2006 and joined NATO's Partnership for Peace program, though it does not seek full membership in the Westerndefencealliance.

Serbia's military is loosely based on former Soviet technology and in recent years Belgrade has procured MiG-29 fighter jets andmissiles, helicopters, tanks and armoured personnel carriers from Russia.