From the Collapse of the Canopy to Human Rights
AMO
/ Ed. 3. 12. 2024
Serbian authorities constantly emphasize that their relationship with the Chinese is based on "steel friendship." The loans that Serbia takes from China are presented as investments. Little is known about these loans, or what consequences debtors might face if they fail to repay. It is publicly presented that China is involved in business and construction projects across Serbia, from sewage systems, steel mills, mines, refineries, tire factories, parts of highways, and high-speed rail, to the construction of projects related to the national stadium and Expo 2027.
The roof of the railway station in Novi Sad, weighing several tons, collapsed and killed fourteen people—children, young people, and the elderly. Three young people are still fighting for their lives in the intensive care unit. On November 1st, rescuers spent hours trying to remove concrete slabs from the ground to extract the injured and the dead. The public was first stunned, then enraged. It became clear—lifting tons of concrete would reveal the dead, but even the fatalities weren’t enough of a reason for the Serbian government to reveal its secret contracts with China.
The article by Jelena Zorić was originaly published with the support of the project Enhancing the Capacities of Serbian Investigative Journalists in Mapping Foreign Influence in Serbia by Vreme. You can read the original version in Serbian here.
