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Serbia shows Chinese missiles, bought them a few weeks ago

2022-05-01 09:20:39Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Serbia shows Chinese missiles, bought them a few weeks ago
Chinese ground-to-air missile system, HQ-22

Serbia on Saturday displayed to the public an counter-air system recently bought by China, raising concerns in the West and among some of Serbia's neighbours about an arms race in the Balkans that could threaten fragile peace in the region.

The sophisticated surface-to-air missile system "HQ-22" was sent to Serbia last month by a number of Chinese Air Force "Y-20" transport aircraft. This is thought to be the largest air shipment of Chinese weapons to Europe.

Although Serbia formally seeks membership in the European Union, it has been armed mainly with Russian and Chinese weapons, including T-72 fighter tanks, MiG-29 fighter jets, Mi-35 fighter helicopters and drens.

In 2020, U.S. officials called on Belgrade not to buy Chinese counter-aircraft systems "HQ-22". The version of this system that is exported outside China is also known as "FK-3". American officials said that if Serbia really wants to join the EU and other Western alliances, it should harmonize its military equipment with Western standards.

The Chinese missile system has been widely compared to the U.S. "Patriot" and Russian "S-300" missile system, although it has a shorter range of action than the more advanced Russian "S-300" missiles. Serbia is the first Chinese missile operator in Europe.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the end of the arms exhibition, at a military airport near Belgrade, that Chinese missiles, as well as other recently delivered military equipment, are no threat to anyone and represent only a "powerful containment" tool against possible attacks on his country.

"We will no longer serve as a victim of anyone," Mr Vucic said, apparently referring to NATO's 78-day bombing of Serbia for the bloody repression of Kosovo Albanians in 1999.

Serbia, which was at war with its neighbours in the 1990s, does not recognise Kosovo's independence, declared in 2008. It still has cold relations with NATO members Croatia and Montenegro, as well as Bosnia. Bosnia's Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik took part in the Serbian forces' military exercise on Saturday.

President Vucic said Serbia is also negotiating for the purchase of French military aircraft "Dessault Rafale", as well as the British "Eurofighter Typhoon" aircraft. He said only "political obstacles" could stop the purchase of Western aircraft.

There are growing concerns that Russia could spur its ally Serbia to start an armed conflict with its neighbours, in an effort to at least partially shift public attention from the war in Ukraine.

Although Serbia has voted in favour of UN resolutions condemning the bloody Russian attack in Ukraine, it has refused to join international sanctions against its allies in Moscow or directly criticize atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine.


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