Thewesternbalkans.
China ratified its extradition treaty with Serbia on Friday, expanding its network of countries in Europe willing to extradite Chinese citizens, Reuters reported.
The formal approval of the treaty by China’s top legislature came a year after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Balkan country, when 29 documents, including the extradition treaty, were signed.
The pact will allow both countries to request the extradition of wanted individuals found within each other’s borders if and when the Serbian parliament also ratifies the agreement.
Commentary: China has signed extradition treaties with at least 60 countries, more than half of which are officially in force. The treaties have raised concerns about the return of Chinese dissidents and asylum seekers to China and even Taiwanese citizens, but Beijing has said it uses extraditions to pursue fugitives, fight corruption and recover stolen money.
Hungary also reached a similar law enforcement pact with Beijing in February 2024, when China’s public security minister visited Hungarian President Viktor Orbán.
The move was criticized by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who called it a “backdoor to foreign interference.”
