ReConnect China - China's engagements on the borders of the EU: the case of the Sino-Serbian "Ironclad Friendship"

This episode tackles the complexity of Sino-Serbian relations vis-à-vis the EU from a historical and regional perspective. Serbia is a European EU-candidate country, but it has a long history of advocating for a non-aligned international position. Furthermore, in recent years Serbia has emerged as a key Chinese partner in Europe, with intensified economic and socio-political cooperation and the gradual establishment of a so-called “Ironclad Friendship”. In 2024, Serbia was one of three countries on Xi Jinping’s European tour and the first in Europe to commit to building a “community with a shared future” with China. Based on extensive empirical research, the development of Sino-Serbian relations is presented with a special emphasis on the role of culture in international relations, e.g. the role of discourse and public opinion. In this episode hosted by Dr Outi Luova, Senior Instructor Jelena Gledić from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, highlights lessons for a resilient and sustainable future of China-Europe relations and the potential enlargement of the EU. Transcript: https://www.utu.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/podcast/reconnect Publications by Jelena Gledić: - on Serbian public opinion on China: Serbian public opinion on China in the age of COVID-19. An unyielding alliance. Jelena Gledić, Richard Q. Turcsányi, Matej Šimalčík Kristína Kironská, Renáta Sedláková (2021) https://sinofon.cz/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/SRB-poll-report.pdf - on the drivers of Serbian public opinion on China: Analysing Drivers of Serbian Public Opinion on China: The “Iron Friendship” in Global and Local Contexts. Jelena Gledić. The Review of International Affairs. - Vol. 75, No. 1190 (2024), p. 5–28. https://doi.fil.bg.ac.rs/pdf/journals/iipe_ria/2024-1190/iipe_ria-2024-75-1190-1.pdf - on China's categorization of foreign relations: Evolving Paradigms of International Order: Chinese Categorisation of Foreign Relations. Jelena Gledić. Harvesting the Winds of Change: China and the Global Actors. [ed. Aleksandar Mitić, Katarina Zakić]. - ISBN 978-86-7067-338-0. - Vol. 4, No. 1 (2024), p. 191–214. https://doi.fil.bg.ac.rs/pdf/eb_ser/iipe_dijalozi_kina/2024-4-1/iipe_dijalozi_kina-2024-4-1-ch10.pdf ReConnect China - Generating independent knowledge for a resilient future with China for Europe and its citizens. Find out more about the project here: www.reconnect-china.ugent.be/ CHERN – the China in Europe Research Network – is a platform for knowledge exchange about China in Europe among academic and non-academic communities. Find out more about the project here https://china-in-europe.net/