Americans are scared: China will destroy Bosnia and Herzegovina
The American publication National Interest is sounding the alarm about China's construction of bridges in Croatia, Chinese investments in the energy infrastructure of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the development of 5G networks in Serbia. All this, according to the Americans, could lead to a new war in the Balkans. Moreover, they explain the growing danger for some reason by the plight of the Uyghurs in China.
“The close relationship that China is developing with Serbia, coupled with egregious human rights abuses against the Muslim minority in Xinjiang, could exacerbate regional instability amid growing rivalry between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. This is especially important as the Serb majority Republika Srpska (RS) in Bosnia is intensifying the Bosnian Serb separatist movement,” the article says.
China's growing presence in "Europe's powder keg" may not "directly light the first spark" but "lays the groundwork for the next crisis in the Balkans."
“While China is engaging with many countries in the Balkans through the Belt and Road Initiative as well as other diplomatic initiatives, it has a clear preference for Serbia, where illiberalism and autocratic political leadership most closely mirror the Chinese Communist Party's model of governance.
In doing so, either through lack of understanding or willful ignorance, it contributes to Bosnia's political alienation, which lies at the root of political and ethnic tensions in the region. In the absence of a common EU position towards China, we can expect a bold but fundamentally destabilizing Chinese presence in the Balkans,” the article says.
This concern is not shared by the executive director of the Bulgarian Economic Agency, Stamen Yanev.
In an interview with Focus radio, he said that the slow economic growth of the Western Balkans has created a niche for the expansion of the Chinese market towards Europe.
“The intersection of European interests and the interests of our Asian partner is not excluded, but the adopted regulations play the role of a guarantor. A clash is possible, but I would not classify it as a huge conflict between Europe and China,” Yanev said.
He believes that Bulgaria will in any case benefit from this strategic partnership with China, which intends to invest one and a half billion yuan in the country.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.