May 11, 2021
Special Dispatch No. 9328
TASS Analysis Shows That Russia Is Playing Second Fiddle To China In Traditional Ally Serbia
May 11, 2021
In the Russian pro-government press' normally rosy descriptions of Sino-Russian relations, one nettlesome topic frequently comes up – Chinese economic penetration of other countries and particularly countries where Russia occupied a strong position. Pavel Bushuev, TASS' Belgrade correspondent, in an analysis of the situation in Serbia compares the relative economic positions of China and Russia. He concludes that China is clearly outpacing Russia.
Bushuev has criticism for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for extending favoritism to China and silencing the local media with respect to criticism of China. Bushuev also credits China with possessing a long-range strategy that it backs financially to the hilt. However, the article accuses China of unfair practices such as creating indebtedness and dictating the terms of bilateral economic agreements, damaging the ecology, and (an unusual charge for a government press agency in Putin's Russia) working hand-in-glove with the Serbian security agencies to increase surveillance and violate the rights of privacy.