China and Serbia to Deepen Ties With First-Ever Joint Military Exercises

The armed forces of China and Serbia are planning to hold their first-ever joint military exercises called “Guardian of Peace 2025.”

The Chinese Ministry of Defense reported that the exercise will take place in the northern Chinese province of Hebei in the second half of July.

“This will help strengthen the combat capabilities of the participating troops and deepen cooperation between the two armies,” a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense said at a briefing.

This will be the first time that China will conduct military exercises on its territory with a country that is seeking to join the European Union.

However, this is not the first time China has conducted joint exercises with European countries. In July 2019, Beijing participated in joint military exercises with Germany, which focused on humanitarian and medical support.

Also in July 2024, China participated in anti-terrorism exercises with Belarus.

Serbia seeks to remain neutral in military matters, balancing its relations with its European neighbors while remaining one of China’s closest partners.

Beijing and Belgrade signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in 2016, focusing on trade and economic cooperation.

In March 2021, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to deepening military cooperation.

In 2020, Serbia became the first country in Europe to order Chinese drones – CH-92A and CH-95 unmanned aerial vehicles.

Additionally, in 2022, Belgrade received an export version of the Chinese integrated air defense system, the HQ-22 (FK-3).

In January of this year, the Balkan country officially commissioned the FK-3 air defense system purchased from China, becoming the first European country to deploy this weapon.