Miloš Vučević Visits Guangdong to Strengthen Serbia-China Ties Serbia’s ruling party is betting big on China again, casting a high-profile visit to Guangdong as proof that Belgrade’s future lies ever closer to Beijing.

On May 22, Miloš Vučević, president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), arrived in Guangdong at the head of a party delegation, framing the trip as a turning point in already close ties. Local pro-government outlets branded the mission as another chapter in “Serbia and China’s Steel Friendship” and “Iron Friendship”, underlining the carefully crafted narrative of unbreakable partnership.

In Guangdong, Vučević met Zhang Guozi, a standing member of the provincial CPC commission and deputy governor of the province, for what was described as a cordial, friendly meeting. The encounter was presented as both a diplomatic warm-up and a strategic rehearsal for the upcoming meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Pro-government media stressed that relations “have never been at a higher level,” crediting the “strong personal relationship and mutual trust” between Vučić and Xi for laying the foundations of this so‑called steel friendship. Vučević reportedly called it a “privilege” to be in Guangdong and cast the visit as a “new impetus for cooperation and friendship” ahead of the leaders’ summit.

The agenda was expansive: deeper cooperation in economy, investment, new technologies, infrastructure, industrial development and agriculture, highlighted as a sector with “significant potential” for joint projects and modern technology transfer. The Serbia–China Free Trade Agreement was showcased as a key lever for “stronger economic integration” and new investment flows, alongside the launch of direct flights intended to tighten business, institutional, and people-to-people links.

Within this narrative, Serbia casts itself as China’s “European window,” doubling down on a strategic bet: that aligning closely with Beijing will pay off economically at home, even as it raises eyebrows in the EU it still claims to want to join.