Chinese diplomacy strategically visited Hungary and Serbia during Xi Jinping’s European tour, highlighting regional tensions and historical ties.
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A Chinese expert notes that China strategically chose Hungary and Serbia as destinations alongside France for its visits to gain new perspectives on French negotiations with the EU. This was unexpected because Xi Jinping visited a non-EU country and conducted talks in an EU member state openly aligned with the Union’s strategy, contrary to initial plans focused on opening relations with the EU. The analyst also highlighted that President Macron sought to represent both French and EU interests, appearing with Ursula von der Leyen, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not join them. Furthermore, Scholz visited China a month before Xi’s trip to France, and Xi visited Lithuania just before his European tour, an ally where Taiwan has an open representation despite Chinese objections. The expert believes these tensions between Germany and France threaten the fragile unity of Europe, which is exacerbated by Hungary’s tactical approach of conducting separate bilateral talks instead of unified EU negotiations. Beyond undermining European unity, some suggest a role for Iranian nostalgia in China’s current actions, emphasizing the Belgrade-Budapest axis as part of reviving old socialist cooperation. Other commentators view the visits as representing revisionist policy rather than anti-West sentiment, noting that Xi’s return to Budapest and Belgrade did not gain Western trust. Chinese President Xi also reportedly referenced the greatness of Yugoslavia in his statements. In Serbia, President VuÄŤić emphasized “territorial integrity,” which Xi responded by assuring Serbian counterparts of China’s unconditional support for Serbia’s territorial unity and alignment with its stance on UN issues. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron attempted to address sensitive topics like human rights during his talks, though the expert remains skeptical of any positive outcomes regarding human rights or the overall renewal of Sino-European relations.
