Decade of patience: How China became a power in the Western Balkans

• China has become the most prominent third actor in the Western Balkans.
• The country’s activities are spread unevenly across the region, but they follow a common approach.
• This approach is marked by China’s wide-ranging efforts to establish itself in key economic areas and to gradually position itself as an indispensable actor.
• China is slowly transforming its interactions with Western Balkans countries in sectors such as culture, media, and politics into long-term and institutionalised relationships.
• As European and US ambivalence towards the Western Balkans persists, the region will be in increasing danger of falling into an endless spiral of competition between various foreign actors.
• Western policymakers should address the widening developmental gap between the region and the EU through initiatives such as targeted investment plans in energy and infrastructure, sectoral integration frameworks, and the frontloading of EU law in the accession process.

The paper describes China’s expansive approach to the Western Balkans, which centres on the development of numerous relationships with individuals and institutions (many of them starting from a relatively low base). These relationships – which involve everything from infrastructure and energy to culture, the media, and party politics – are intended to promote Chinese narratives and interests. To this end, Beijing has exploited the geopolitical ambivalence of many Western capitals, grasping the opportunities to invest in strategically important sectors that arise from the persistent development gap between the Western Balkans and the EU, as well as the region’s lack of sustained political and economic convergence with the bloc.

Read: https://ecfr.eu/publication/decade-of-patience-how-china-became-a-power-in-the-western-balkans/