Serbia’s future economic opportunities will depend on the political decisions and partnership choices it makes today, the State Department warns in a response to Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) regarding Serbia’s growing rapprochement with China in the field of artificial intelligence.
At the same time, the European Commission (EC) points out that alignment with European Union rules in the field of artificial intelligence is part of the broader European integration process.
“As part of the accession process, Serbia has committed to aligning its legislation with these regulations,” an EC spokesperson told RFE/RL.
The EU Institute for Security Studies states for RFE/RL that deeper integration with Chinese technology ecosystems could complicate subsequent alignment with Brussels’ requirements on the European path.
Serbia has been an EU candidate country since 2012. Over the past few months, Serbia has significantly moved closer to China in the field of artificial intelligence by signing high-level agreements. China is not the only one interested in cooperating with official Belgrade in this field. This was one of the topics of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit in August 2024.
What did Vučić sign with Xi?
In May, in the presence of presidents Aleksandar Vučić and Xi Jinping, a memorandum of cooperation between the two countries in the field of artificial intelligence was signed in Beijing.
Aleksandar Vučić and Xi Jinping – Photo: FoNet/AP
Two months later, in July, in Shanghai, representatives of 29 countries, including Serbia, signed an agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO).
Among European countries, the only other signatories are Russia and Belarus. The signatories are mostly Asian and African states, and Iran subsequently joined the organisation.
The agreements come at a time when the state is trying to accelerate the development of national AI capacities.
In early 2025, the Government of Serbia adopted a new Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy until 2030, which provides for additional investments in research, computing infrastructure, and the application of AI systems in the public sector.
The Office for IT and eGovernment of the Republic of Serbia did not respond to RFE/RL’s inquiry regarding the signed agreements, whether Chinese artificial intelligence will be used in state institutions, nor was the signed memorandum made available for inspection.
What is known about the agreements with China?
The Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence was signed in Beijing in May on behalf of Serbia by Mihajlo Jovanović, Director of the Serbian Office for IT and eGovernment, while the document was formally approved on the other side by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
“Serbia and China’s cooperation in the field of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital innovations, represents one of the most dynamic and promising segments of overall bilateral relations and an important foundation for further connecting the research and technological capacities of the two countries,” Jovanović said at the time.
As announced by the Development Agency of Serbia following Vučić’s visit to China, more than 30 agreements and memorandums were signed during the visit, stating that Serbia is a potential regional centre “for Chinese investments in industry, logistics, and technological development.”
In July, Serbia took a step closer to China in this field when WAICO, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, was established in Shanghai.
A month prior, the Government of Serbia adopted a decision on concluding the agreement establishing this organisation, officially securing the state’s status as one of its founders.
The initiative for its formation was presented by the Chinese a year earlier, when it was warned that artificial intelligence could become the privilege of a small number of states and companies unless broader cooperation in high technologies is established globally.
By holding membership in this organisation, Serbia will, among other things, have access to free open-source AI models, use Chinese artificial intelligence as a cheap alternative to more expensive solutions from Western technology companies, and have the opportunity to train its experts in China through the announced scholarship fund.
US urges Serbia to choose ‘trusted sources’
The State Department does not wish to directly comment on official Belgrade and Beijing’s rapprochement in the field of artificial intelligence, but points out that it is clear which side should be chosen.
“The United States encourages Serbia to develop its full potential – and secure its national security – by choosing trusted sources and suppliers of artificial intelligence equipment and technology, as well as by choosing trusted partners like the United States,” the response emphasises.
They also point out that the US leads in artificial intelligence technology and represents the golden standard for technology that is “responsibly developed, grounded in transparency, and free from ideological biases and government-imposed manipulations.”
“When countries adopt American artificial intelligence systems, they are not just buying infrastructure as consumers – they are unlocking innovative opportunities for their economies and citizens,” the response states.
The US has long maintained the official stance that the development of Chinese artificial intelligence means it can modernize their military and surveillance capabilities, which is why they are introducing increasingly stringent export controls. In 2022, the US Department of Commerce introduced restrictions prohibiting China from accessing the most advanced AI chips, supercomputing technologies, and equipment for manufacturing advanced semiconductors, citing the protection of US national security.
What is Brussels reminding Serbia of?
In its response to RFE/RL, the European Commission states that Serbia has committed to aligning with Brussels’ regulations, including the European framework for regulating AI and the adopted EU Artificial Intelligence Act.
They explain that EU rules apply not only to companies based in the Union, but also to providers of AI systems and models operating on the EU market, including companies from third countries.
For some time, the EU has been trying to position itself as the leading global regulator in the field of artificial intelligence, prioritizing human rights protection and strict risk control.
Through the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), which began applying in August of this year, Brussels wants to ensure that advanced technologies are developed exclusively within democratic standards, transparency, and the protection of citizens’ privacy.
In a response from the EU Institute for Security Studies, signed by analysts Bojana Zorić and Clotilde Bomont, it is pointed out that an AI partnership in itself is not a violation of Serbia’s obligations under the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, but it raises new questions about Belgrade’s strategic orientation. “For the EU, the main concern is that Serbia is gradually embedding itself into technological and governance ecosystems that may differ from European ones. This is particularly important because Serbia’s alignment with common policy is already incomplete and far from satisfactory,” the Institute warns.
They recall the Huawei Safe City technology, already adopted in Serbia, and state that its application raises concerns regarding mass surveillance capabilities and data security – something that artificial intelligence further complicates. “Combining artificial intelligence with sensitive data, surveillance infrastructure, and dependence on external suppliers increases cybersecurity and espionage risks and makes vulnerabilities systemic,” the Institute assesses.
Zorić and Bomont believe there is a risk of technological dependence on China.
“Dependency occurs when the same technological ecosystem gradually provides infrastructure, hardware, cloud or computing capacities, software, AI models, and technical expertise. Once these layers interconnect, switching becomes expensive and politically difficult,” they explain.
They believe the EU must offer the entire Western Balkans its own alternatives to AI integration with China, “facilitating access to European computing power, research programmes, and improving support and investment in cybersecurity.”
Chinese-Serbian cooperation in the AI field
Cooperation between Serbia and China in the field of artificial intelligence began to intensify back in 2019, when the Serbian Office for IT and eGovernment signed a memorandum in Shanghai with the Chinese tech giant Huawei on establishing a national platform for artificial intelligence development.
Two years later, in 2021, Serbia established the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, while the development of the national AI platform continued at the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, based on infrastructure and technologies previously agreed upon with Huawei.
Until the recent memorandum and membership in the global organisation, there were no other concrete steps toward further rapprochement in this field. In recent years, the two countries have been cooperating increasingly intensively in the fields of digital technologies, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
This cooperation is particularly visible through the long-term partnership between state institutions and Huawei – which is on the US blacklist – participating in multiple digitisation projects, telecommunications infrastructure development, and educational programmes in Serbia.
The latest step that has further brought the two countries closer in the field of technology is a factory for humanoid robots intended for export to the EU, opened in Šabac in western Serbia on August 29th.
(Radio Free Europe, 14.09.2026)
https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/sad-eu-srbija-kina-vestacka-inteligencija/33846271.html
