China’s Investments in Serbia
Protesters trample on a poster depicting ousted Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday, 25 October 2026. China remains one of Serbia's most influential investors, with mining giant Zijin Mining operating vast copper and gold mines in the east, and the HBIS Group controlling the steelworks in Smederevo, 60 kilometres south-east of Belgrade. Opaque bilateral agreements between the two nations frequently bypass public tenders, leading to notoriously lax environmental enforcement. The resulting severe pollution has taken a heavy toll on public health, leaving Serbia's life expectancy roughly seven years below the EU average. The Serbian state under Vučić not only condoned severe ecological degradation but also tolerated the alleged use of forced labour and the heavy-handed operations of Zijin's private security forces, which critics argue act as a law unto themselves within the mining regions. By Michael Wuertenberg #Belgrade #Bor #Majdanpek #Smederevo #Serbia
