China has delivered a confidential shipment of anti-aircraft to the Serbian military. According
to the report, there’s armed build up in the Balkans in the midst of war in Ukraine could
jeopardize the dainty peace of the region.
According to the report, six Chinese military marking cargo planes have landed at the Belgrade
civilian airport carrying surface to air missiles for the Serbian military. Though, Serbia has not
given any formal response to the report of shipment. But this is not the first time earlier Serbia
has bought attack drones from China.
The images were procured from Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla airport. Armed delivery was also done
to two NATO nations Turkey and Bulgaria; this highlights China’s increasing global reach.
As stated by the Warzone online magazine ‘the Chinese Y-20 flew in a group as compared to
series of single aircraft flight,’ further, added ‘the appearance of Y-20 in Europe is quite a new
transformation.’1
According to Aleksandar Radic who is a Serbian military analyst the Chinese executed their
presentation of force. Furthermore, the Serbian President affirmed the consignment of the
medium-range system that was accorded in 2019 and in addition said that Serbia is still not a
part of the European Union and said that they will showcase Serbia’s military ‘newest pride’.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic complained that NATO countries which constitute most
of Serbia’s neighbours are denying to grant the system’s delivery flight over their region
bounded by the unrest situation over Russia’s belligerence on Ukraine.
Whereas NATO member Slovakia had shipped Russia’s S-300 air defence system to Ukraine
in the midst of warfare as the President of Ukraine Zelensky demanded more military
equipment to fight the Russian aggression. No less than 30 countries have sent military
assistance to Kyiv.
Though Serbia has shown its support as they voted in favour of a U.N resolution reprimanding
the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Serbia has declined to join international sanctions against its
allies in Moscow or wholly condemn the cruelty committed by the Russian troops there.
In 2020, US officials cautioned Belgrade against the acquirement of the anti-aircraft system
HQ-22. The export edition of HQ-22 is designated as FK-3. US officials have said that if Serbia
is willing to join the European Union then it must regulate its military equipment with the
Western standard.
The Chinese missile has been extensively analysed to the American Patriot and the Russian S300 surface-to-air missile systems though it has a shorter range as compared to more improved
S-300s. The first operator of the Chinese missile in Europe will be Serbia.
1 https://www.winknews.com/2022/04/10/china-makes-semi-secret-delivery-of-missiles-to-serbia/
Serbia had a confrontation with its neighbours in the 1990s. Serbia, which is formally now
soliciting EU membership, has been elevating its armed forces with Russian and Chinese arms,
which includes warplanes, other military equipment and battle tanks.
In the year 2020 Serbia took the consignment of drones for reconnaissance tasks Chendu
Pterodactyl-1 called in China Wing Loong. These combat drones are capable of hitting targets
with bombs and missiles.
There is trepidation in the West that the armed build-up of Serbia with the help of Russia and
China could stimulate the Balkan country towards another war, specifically against its former
province Kosovo. In 2008 Kosovo has proclaimed independence, and Kosovo’s statehood has
been recognized by the United States and most western countries but not by Serbia, Russia and
China.
The secret delivery has raised a lot of concern in the West, especially over the statehood of
Kosovo which is not recognised by Serbia, Russia and China. As this can culminate in another
war in the Balkan country.
Serbia getting a veiled military shipment from China is not at all accepted by the West. China
showcasing its dominance of growing global reach. Although, Serbia has sought membership
in the European Union, not abiding by the rules of the US military alignment, in fact getting
more shipments from China jeopardises the situation.
The West’s concern is if Serbia is taking measures to elevate its military competence, what can
be the reason that China and Russia are backing them with their support to do invasion like
Russia on Ukraine.
China accomplished their presentation of military strength by collectively flying to the civilian
airport of Belgrade and delivering anti-aircraft as stated by Serbian military analyst Aleksandar
Radic.
China is no doubt quite competent in elevating its military strength and further its dominance
presence globally is very significant. China’s military force is now comparable to the US
military equipment, it’s quite clear that undoubtedly China has made its prominence presence
which cannot be overlooked.
China has its own motive as we all know that its major concern with Taiwan, now the West is
concerned as Russia has attacked Ukraine, China can do the same to Taiwan. Chinese
advancements in the military, artificial intelligence and cyber domain have caused great
concern.