On October 9, the Forum “China and the Western Balkans: Perspectives and Prospects in the New Era” was held in Skopje, organized by the Albanian Institute for Globalization Studies (AIGS) in cooperation with the Global Changes Center (GCC) of the Faculty of Philosophy in Skopje.
The forum was greeted by the Ambassador of China in North Macedonia, Mr. Zhang Zuo, Prof. Biljana Vankovska, and Dr. Marsela Musabelliu
The Forum was attended by 20 participants from the academic community, the non-governmental sector, and journalists from both Macedonia and Albania, who addressed the main topic through the prism of several academic disciplines of relations between China and the Western Balkans, their contributions, as well as specific aspects of relations between China of these two Balkan countries.
The general conclusions highlighted many opportunities for cooperation within the “Belt and Road Initiative” initiative, China-CEEC mechanism, and bilateral relations.
Argumentum.al brings some of these opinions by experts from Albania and North Macedonia in this conference:
The ambassador of China in North Macedonia Mr. Zhang Zuo his speech, welcomed and endorsed the organizing of this forum, while both China and North Macedonia mark two important dates, since just a few days ago the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China was celebrated, and soon we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and North Macedonia.
“Marking the beginning of friendly exchanges between China and Balkan countries. This friendship has persisted through different civilizations and has been passed down for thousands of years. In the new era, we have relied on the accumulation of this traditional friendship to help each other during the COVID-19 pandemic and move forward in unity and cooperation,” said Ambassador Zhang Zuo,
Today, our relationship with the countries of the Western Balkans is stable, long-lasting, and fruitful. We stand at a new historical starting point with own outstanding characteristics and broad development prospects.
China and countries in the Western Balkans communicate and coordinate closely under multilateral mechanisms like the China-Central and Eastern European Countries Cooperation Mechanism, build consensus and actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative. In this new era and new journey, China is willing to work with all countries, including the Western Balkan countries, to create a better future.
“Our cooperation contributes to the continuous development and growth of bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, playing a constructive role in regional development and prosperity,” the ambassador emphasized in his speech at the forum.
Dr. Marsela Musabelliu delivered her presentation entitled “China-CEE cooperation in the Western Balkans: the need to properly understand and advance it in the region”
“Exploring the opportunities and analyzing challenges that this cooperation can bring is essential. Being a developing country, this platform should present significant opportunities for Albania, as China is a major world economic power with significant investment capabilities. Policymakers must make informed decisions and ensure that cooperation with China is mutually beneficial,” said AIGS Executive Director, Dr. Marsela Musabelliu
Under the umbrella of this platform, in Albania, we have seen the organization of workshops, round tables, B2B meetings, and others, which has revived the interest of local companies to sell their products in China. China remains one of its main trading partners of Albania and in the framework of China-CEEC there has been a lot of progress at the level of communication, but there is still a great potential that needs to be exploited, emphasizes Dr. Musabelliu
China-CEE cooperation is creating the foundations for intensifying relations in the future based on mutual cultural recognition. Intensified contacts make us more inclined to understand and accept each other’s realities. The importance of bilateral dialogue lies beyond the political element, and China-CEEC seems to have ensured this. Intergovernmental culture/trade/investment dialogues and especially the signing of agreements open a window of communication and create a kind of common history for mutual exchange in the present and the future.
This platform is a pioneering effort, as we have heard many times, what is the best way forward is with the notion of “We together, discuss the rules of the game – together we must build it according to our needs and visions and jointly share the results”, states Musabelliu.
“WB countries are at a crossroads: do they care more about their national and regional security or will they finally see the world and humanity as a whole? We are in the same boat and in turbulent times we need awareness of the common fate in terms of ecology, economy, health, or education”, emphasizes Prof. Biljana Vankovska.
Prof. Vankovska stated that there is a Western rhetoric that hinders the development of economic relations with other big countries like China.
It is no secret that the political elites in the Balkans are hardly capable of understanding the idea of state sovereignty or leading one’s foreign policy. In the absence of any concrete achievements or prospects for a better life for their countries, they preach the ideology of NATO and the EU, even though NATO is de facto at war with Russia and the EU has turned into a political wing and economic of NATO. The entire narrative of EUtopia is based on the premise of “unity in diversity” and “economic, social, and political integration” through cooperation. However, when the BRI initiative is mentioned and justified with similar arguments, it is dismissed as something unacceptable. Of course, there is blindness, voluntary or otherwise. Or maybe hypocrisy. If diversity and inclusiveness as well as cooperation are the basic principles of the much-desired EU, then why would anyone oppose or sabotage such an approach at the global level?
Prof. Dr. Misko Dzidrov, Vice-Rector at Goce Dellchev-Shtip University (UGD), emphasized that:
“The Western Balkans, due to its strategic location, has historically attracted interest from regional powers such as Turkey and Russia, which have well-defined strategies. However, Chinese intentions and activities in the region remain unclear to many, including the Western Balkan countries, the EU, and the US.”
Regarding the concrete cooperation between China and the Western Balkans, Prof. Dr Misko Dzidrov said that apart from Serbia, other countries lack the size to be significant in Chinese foreign policy. China invested 32 billion euros in the region from 2009-2021, with 10.3 billion euros in Serbia. Despite Chinese investments, the EU remains the dominant economic partner, accounting for 70% of foreign direct investment and 81% of exports.
For North Macedonia to maximize its benefits from cooperation, two prerequisites must be met: first, cooperation must adhere to the spirit of European values and be implemented according to EU legislation and standards. Second, the needs of the country must be taken into account and the inconsistency current must be overcome. North Macedonia should start as soon as possible to develop the right policy for China, to determine its priorities regarding bilateral cooperation, said Prof. Dr. Dzidrov in his speech at this forum.
Prof. Dr. Toni Mileski, from the Faculty of Philosophy, S. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje presented some statistics from the survey conducted last year.
Despite the orientation of Macedonia’s policies towards Euro-Atlantic integration, public opinion research is critical for the development of a comprehensive picture of the cooperation perspectives of small and large states in global frameworks, he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war are two geopolitical game changers that are changing the context and geopolitical order of the world. They are generating transformation in the Western Balkan region and a change in regional dynamics, not only by geopolitical actors interested in stable and secure states on the perimeter of the EU and NATO alliances but also by geopolitical actors who strive to build a new sphere of interests. Western Balkans; The geopolitical position has historically involved various influences and activities from multiple entities.
For example, the changing geopolitical landscape, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has increased China’s participation in the region, especially in terms of distributing medical equipment and administering vaccines in situations where EU support mechanisms were initially insufficient.
Prof. Dr. Orce Simov, Vice President of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia spoke about the prospects for possible cooperation between North Macedonia and China.
Macedonia, as a small and open developing economy, can achieve the desired economic progress and stable external balance, only with policies and measures for economic growth based on a strategy for expanding exports. In the implementation of such a strategy, the state and the export economy have complementary roles and responsibilities even at that level.
The deepening of economic ties is imperative for any country in transition, especially for small and economically underdeveloped economies, and should represent an essential determinant of reform processes. International cooperation, the need for the deepening of international relations play an important role in the development of Macedonia, and not only from the aspect of the need to maintain peace and security but also because of the need for material exchange, scientific and technical discoveries, economic cooperation, technical and other within the international community, emphasized the Vice President of the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia
Since we have a very large imbalance between imports and exports with China and China’s new import promotion initiative, we need to find ways to export more goods and services to China. Thus, we will reduce the discrepancies in our imports and exports, as well as improve the balance of the foreign trade payments account, as recommended by Prof. Dr. Simov.
As for the media perspective, Mrs. Marjana Doda, journalist, and analyst for Balkan affairs, emphasized in this forum that the media should do more to see the reality beyond prejudices against Chinese initiatives.
“China’s engagement with the Western Balkans presents many opportunities for economic cooperation and infrastructure development. We must see ourselves as an important connecting bridge between Asia and Europe, we have this destiny prescribed by geography and history, but which we can develop in our common interest for the present and the future”, said Mrs. Doda.
China’s involvement in the Western Balkans through initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) also offers potential benefits to the region. Precisely because of its geographical position, the Western Balkans has the potential to serve as an important corridor for connecting Europe with Asia.
The “Belt and Road” initiative can help develop transport and energy corridors, making the region a key point for the transport of goods and energy resources. This can increase regional cooperation and help the economic development of the country.
Dime Ratajkoski, a journalist, on Macedonian TV, put forward the fact that there is a disparity in how each country individually addresses China in the media landscape. Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro display a cautious approach, while in Serbia and the Republika Srpska region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the atmosphere and media interactions with China are more relaxed and balanced.
“It is worth noting that the treatment of China by the Macedonian media remains superficial, mostly limited to information at the service level. The challenge for the coming years will be to promote media pluralism, support journalistic standards, and ensure that the different views that appear online are heard and respected, contributing to a more lively and democratic media environment in the region”, said Mr. Ratajkoski.
This conference, which includes the main areas of cooperation between China and the Western Balkans, is the second to take place in the space of one year, first in Tirana and now in Skopje.
Even in this forum held in Skopje, the predisposition for cooperation is great both in economic, cultural, academic, and media aspects. Although some of the challenges or obstacles in the cooperation between China and the Western Balkans were presented, above all it was emphasized that there are opportunities for fruitful and long-term development between China and our region.
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