Serbia lauds China virus aid, blasts lack of EU help

Serbia's president praised China Tuesday for helping to battle the new coronavirus as he accused the European Union of abandoning Belgrade by restricting exports of protective equipment.

The Balkan state, a candidate for EU membership, has recorded about 65 cases of COVID-19 and is trying to prevent a full-scale outbreak that could cripple its health care system.

News that Brussels is now limiting exports of masks and other protective equipment has angered Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic, who is casting China as the country's saviour.

"We are waiting here for our Chinese brothers. It has turned out that without you Europe can hardly defend itself," Vucic told Beijing's ambassador Chen Bo after Chinese tests for the new coronavirus arrived Tuesday.

"If all goes well, by the end of the week experts from China will come," the ambassador was quoted by Servian state TV as saying.

Beijing has in recent years challenged Brussels for influence in the region, in particular through heavy loan-based infrastructure investment in cash-strapped countries.

On Sunday, after new EU restrictions were announced, Vucic told the nation that "European solidarity does not exist, it was a fairytale." The Chinese are "the only ones who can help us", he added.

In neighbouring Bosnia, nationalist Serb leader Milorad Dodik also blasted Brussels' "bad decision", under which masks, glasses and protective garments can only be exported outside the bloc with authorisation from EU governments.

"We don't have any options, we don't make a lot of the equipment that is necessary in these circumstances," he said.

There were also signs of concern in Albania, which has imposed the toughest restrictions on public life in the Western Balkans to protect against a pandemic.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Edi Rama said regional leaders were talking with EU envoys to get "guaranteed access for the countries of our region to imports of sanitary equipment".

Florian Bieber, a Balkans expert, told AFP: "The image of China will be boosted mostly by local autocrats" looking to play an anti-EU populist card during the coronavirus crisis.

Balkan governments should shoulder blame for "under-investing in health care", and in Serbia's case, initially "downplaying the seriousness" of COVID-19, he said.