SIMIC

President Xi promised China would import US$170 billion worth of goods and double the purchase of agricultural products from the region over the next five years.

However, the pledge may not be enough to dismiss concerns. A 2012 promise to boost trade with the region to US$100 billion by 2015 was not met until last year.

"If there is no skill in planning, it is difficult to achieve, and if there is no skill in planning, it will fail," said Montenegro President Milo Djukanovic.

"China and Montenegro should better understand the challenges to the global economy and jointly look for a proper solution," said Mr Djukanovic.

A US$750 million highway under China's Belt and Road Agreement has been blamed for increasing Montenegro's national debt 80 per cent.

Belgrade Centre for Security Policy researcher Vuk Vuksanovic declared how Chinese leadership perceives the Balkans as an open door toward Europe.

"In both geopolitical and market terms, the Chinese leadership perceives the Balkans as something of a bridgehead or an open door towards Europe. This is the product of the region's strategic geography that places it at the crossroads between Europe and wider Eurasia," said Mr Vuksanovic.

"Moreover, some countries like Serbia are EU membership candidates which is useful in Chinese ambitions to connect themselves more with the EU markets."

Meanwhile, China has invested more into the Balkans, promising to supply Covid crisis vaccines to many non-EU states. However, Mr Vuksanovic stated there are doubts regarding the matter.

"As the world struggles with the pandemic and the EU enlargement is not progressing in the region, the local nations are concerned with short and mid-term challenges of economic and infrastructural developments.

"A long-term question mark remains whether the Balkans will grow even more distant from the EU, as Chinese standards are different from the European ones."