Embassy Kine in Serbia rejected as incorrect and unfounded claims that he is the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić promised the Chinese ambassador in Belgrade that the Chinese consortium, the main contractor, would not be responsible for fall of the canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad.
Previously, Vladimir Obradović, a professor at the Faculty of Organizational Sciences and a member of the Survey Commission, a candidate for mayor of Belgrade in the 2023 elections, said in the show "Impression of the Week" that Vučić's first statement about how the canopy was not reconstructed, "followed a conversation with the Chinese ambassador".
Photo: Marija JankovićVladimir Obradović: As long as Vučić is in power, none of the Chinese contractors will be responsible for anything
Obradović claims that Vučić said with such a statement that he will not allow the prosecution of the Chinese, that is, the Chinese consortium, which was a "flowing boiler for corruption".
And "Radar" writes that the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime has asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs eight times to interrogate responsible persons in Chinese companies that were engaged in the reconstruction of the railway from Novi Sad to Hungary.
Given that China is not exactly a champion in respect of human rights, neither of its own citizens, nor of citizens of other countries, and that it has not reacted to the cruelty to which workers are exposed in Chinese companies in Serbia, such as Linglong, the question arises whether there really was no such promise by Vučić and whether the Chinese side really did not accept it, i.e. whether Chinese contractors were given a free hand to work and behave as they pleased.
Embassies do not admit mistakes.
Former diplomat Srećko Đukić tells "Vreme" that no embassy should be expected to admit the mistake of its government and its citizens, or to accept something to the detriment of its country's interests.
"As we know, the Chinese interest is very present in Serbia. We will find out the real truth only when all the deals that are concluded far from the eyes of the citizens and without any tender become public. However, considering how China behaves, the faith in Chinese claims must be much lower than the faith in the original source of information," says Đukić.
When asked whether Vučić can really be expected to offer such an amnesty for Chinese contractors, Đukić says:
"He acquitted everyone, not only the Chinese, but all his friends, tycoons and companies. As far as we can see, nothing important is happening in that process, bearing in mind how significant that case was for the citizens of Serbia in a negative sense. I have no doubt that the case will be covered as long as he is in power, but also after that."
Where did Vucevic come from after the tragedy in Beijing
Political scientist Cvijetin Milivojević tells "Vreme" that he always wants to trust people, organizations, "and politicians, because they are people too", including the Chinese state.
"I don't remember that the Embassy of China advertised itself with press releases in previous years or even decades, and this release is primarily intended for the media and citizens of Serbia. Since this is the first press release, I assume that it is true," says Milivojević.
Photo: Sofija Vukajlović/FoNetMemorial to the victims of the fall of the canopy of the railway station in Novi Sad
He points out that press releases are among the most boring means of communication, especially for journalists, but that those who send them consider it to be the most effective method, since they actually cover a large majority of the media with one text, since everyone conveys something from that text.
"However, I am asking a rhetorical question: immediately after the tragedy in Novi Sad, why did the mayor of that city the day before yesterday, and at that moment the Prime Minister of Serbia and the president of the Serbian Progressive Party, Miloš Vučević, instead of being with his fellow Novi Sad people in pain and sorrow, fly to Beijing. I have been asking this question for a year and a half, but I see that no one is worried about it," concludes Milivojević.
Denials from the Chinese Embassy
On the occasion of the allegations about Vučić's promise to abolish the Chinese consortium, the Chinese Embassy announced on the X social network:
"Recently, a television station in Serbia broadcast an interview with some individuals, in which unfounded claims were made in connection with the investigation into the security accident at the train station in Novi Sad, stating that the leadership of Serbia gave relevant messages to our embassy."
On that occasion, the embassy expressed "strong dissatisfaction and condemnation" and called on "the media and individuals in Serbia to stop spreading inaccurate information."
"We also appeal to the citizens of Serbia to remain alert and cautious against actions and statements aimed at bringing discord into the relations between China and Serbia and hindering the cooperation of our two countries, and to jointly protect the steely friendship between China and Serbia," the announcement added.
Vučić also reacted violently, stating that the claims that he promised the Chinese ambassador that the Chinese consortium would not be responsible for the fall of the canopy are lies. Vučić accused Professor Vladimir Obradović of "spoiling relations between Serbia and China".
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