Xi Jinping last visited France in 2019. march Then he visited Italy and Monaco. Now the Chinese leader’s route in Europe will stretch further east. He will also go to Hungary and Serbia.
In Serbia, Xi Jinping’s visit may coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 1999 NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. May 7 Then three Chinese journalists were killed. NATO has been talking about a mistake. Beijing, meanwhile, said it was a deliberate attack.
Serbia has close relations with China and is a member of China’s New Silk Road investment and infrastructure initiative. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic went to Beijing last October. His country since 2014 is negotiating EU membership. But the talks are slow.
Hungary’s government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, is also seen as friendly to China. Hungary has attracted BYD, currently China’s largest electric car maker by sales. The concern, like the Chinese battery giant CATL, is building a factory here. Hungary is also one of the few EU countries that have joined the “New Silk Road” initiative. China has built a 350 km long railway between Hungary and Serbia.
