Xi Jinping's China operates according to a "securitisation of everything" paradigm – and its most important strategic relationship, viewed through that lens, is with Russia. This paper, originally published by ECFR and the outcome of a joint AMO–ECFR–OSW project, examines how China's officially endorsed worldview – centred on "great changes unseen in a century" and rivalry with the United States – makes continued support for Russia a logical, durable policy choice rather than a tactical calculation.

Since the violent breakup of Yugoslavia, Serbia has played a pivotal role in the Balkans as the largest of the post-Yugoslav nation-states. Over the past decade, the current Serbian regime has become an influential regional actor, employing a wide range of political, informational, economic, cultural, and security-related instruments to shape its strategic position in the region. Increasingly, Serbian regional policy is framed through the political concept of the “Serbian World” (Srpski svet), which refers to the idea of maintaining a unified political, cultural, and informational space linking Serbia with Serb communities in neighbouring states.