Belgrade, Serbia – Chinese defense companies are tapping the potential of the Serbian market and striving to further expand their operations in the country and the Balkan region, manufacturers say.
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace called Serbia China’s “open door” to the Balkan region in a 2019 report. Four years later, their relations are growing stronger, as demonstrated this week in Belgrade by the Partner 23 defense exhibition sponsored by the Serbian government.
So far, Chinese military exports have not enjoyed the same success in other parts of the region, although many Balkan countries have opened up to Chinese companies in infrastructure sectors.
Prior to Partner 23, Serbia was the guest country of honor at the 23rd China International Investment and Trade Fair on September 9. One of the objectives of the conference is to promote Serbia’s investment policies and environment, according to a released statement. on the organizers’ social networks.
As part of the Belgrade defense event taking place here, three of the four Chinese defense companies present said it was their first participation.
“There is a clear interest in the Serbian market, because for most Chinese companies here it is our first participation in the fair, and for the first time we are presenting part of our products also in Europe, so there is “We had an expansion of our presence of exhibitors based in China,” said a representative of China National Precision Machinery Import & Export Corp.
CNPMIEC billed itself as China’s largest supplier of missile weapons systems. It showcased laser weapons systems, including the LW-30, which uses high-energy beams to strike incoming targets including drones at low altitude and low speed. It is suitable for forces seeking to gain airspace control and air defenses, as it is capable of implementing hard and soft attacks against threats within a three-kilometer (1.87-mile) radius.
Another newcomer was ELINC China, which produces electronic warfare and anti-drone systems. Among its bestsellers, also on display at the show but not labeled, is the CHL-906 multifunction radar jamming and electronic intelligence station, which can be sold in different configurations.
“As new exhibitors, we want to expand into the markets of Serbia and the Balkan region. We are open and ready to cooperate with Serbian industry,” said Sun Xuming, Deputy General Director of ELINC’s Eurasian Department.
This sentiment was also echoed by a representative of the Norinco Group, a Chinese state defense company that participated in a previous edition of the Belgrade show. The company placed models of anti-tank missiles and armored vehicles, including the VN22 6×6 infantry fighting vehicle, at the front of its stand.
Surprisingly, almost no drones were presented by Chinese companies. One of the only ones visible was the Wing Loong II, presented on the CATIC stand, which was also exhibiting for the first time.
No company official was available to comment on whether it intended to promote a possible sale of the Wing Loong II to the Serbian army. Belgrade is currently missing a MALE category drone comparable to the MQ-9 Reaper.
Peter Voinovich, editor-in-chief of Serbian aviation news portal TangoSix, said he doubted the country would have any interest in it.
“Serbia, at least publicly, has not expressed interest in acquiring the Wing Loong II, as a medium-altitude, long-endurance capability,” he said. “The strategy of the Ministry of Defense has been to gradually introduce foreign drones with the aim of meeting urgent needs, which was manifested in the acquisition of the Chinese CH-92A and subsequent CH-95 systems.”
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.