Chinese media in the Western Balkans: How the soft power system works from Serbia to Albania

One of the instruments that Beijing uses is the marketing of messages and narratives through its media companies that are present on a global level.

Over the past decade, Beijing has invested heavily in upgrading its main state media outlets, including China Global Television Network (CGTN), Xinhua News Agency and China Radio International (CRI), to portray them as more professional.

The goal was to present these media similar to organizations like the BBC, CNN or, most likely, Beijing's preferred model, Al Jazeera - a network that operates within an authoritarian state, but produces valued content.

In 2018, the Chinese Communist Party passed a decree by which the most important domestic media operating on the domestic and international markets were gathered into a group called China Media Group (CMG) with the aim of establishing greater control over the media and communication of the party's policies and decisions.

In addition to television and radio, news agencies such as Xinhua and web portals such as Global Times represent an important element of globally present media.

The content that these media houses place on a global level are in line with the narratives and aspirations of the Chinese Communist Party and serve the purpose of creating messages that will promote China, the Chinese Communist Party, as well as the initiatives that these entities implement on a global level.

 

Regional presence in the Western Balkans

The Western Balkan region is not exempt from the presence and influence of Chinese media. Chinese television channels CGTN and CCTV are part of the offer of regional cable operators. Regional media regularly broadcast media content created by the Xinhua news agency. While China Radio International has localized media portals in Albanian and Serbian.

On the website of CRI Srpski, this media is presented as a media with regional coverage, more precisely as a "program editor covering the area of the former Yugoslavia". However, in addition to the site in Albanian, the CRI Croatian and CRI Serbian portals are active and effectively cover Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, but not Croatia and Slovenia.

 

The level of presence of Chinese media, as well as the volume of content that is marketed in this way, is not equally distributed throughout the region. Serbia certainly stands out, which is in line with the level of cooperation that the two countries have achieved, however in other countries the presence and visibility is limited.

In Montenegro, according to the analysis of the Media Institute of Montenegro, "paid spaces are leased in print media, not only for contributions from China, but also for analyzes and messages from the Chinese ambassador".

What characterizes the Chinese media in Montenegro, but indicates a trend in the entire region, while at the same time reminding of the way in which media houses under the control of the Russian Federation operate, is that the media content of news agencies is free for reproduction. Research by the European Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFR) published in 2020 states that the quality of this media content is weak, and that events within Montenegro are most often followed by correspondents of Chinese media agencies in Belgrade.

However, even this limited level of cooperation produced certain results. In the last few years, the Montenegrin national television RTCG has developed a high level of partnership with CMG, and above all with CGTN as its branch. As stated on the website of the Montenegrin media, "The People's Republic of China is strengthening its ties with Montenegro through the cooperation of leading media houses." The cooperation of CGTN and TVCG, prominent media from the Republic of China and Montenegro, fosters stronger cooperation and friendship between these two countries". The two media houses jointly produced the documentary series "Story on the Silk Road", which was broadcast in Montenegro, with the help of the Chinese Embassy in Montenegro and the announcement of new joint projects by the two media houses.

The situation is similar in North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The exception is a few obscure internet portals that dedicatedly monitor the presence and cooperation of Bosnia and China, such as the "Bosnian-Chinese Friendship" portal, part of the project of the Center for the Promotion and Development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

It is interesting that the Center's portal states that BHRT is one of the partners of the project. As stated in the analysis signed by a group of authors led by researcher Ana Krstinovska, what characterizes the situation in North Macedonia are television shows, newspaper columns dedicated to China, columns and interviews with the Chinese ambassador, and the promotion and publication of media content by leading Chinese media that are under direct control. controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

Unlike the reduced Chinese influence in the previous period, during the country's pro-European political leadership, data show that China's influence in the Macedonian media sector has increased recently.

Serbia as a case study - mechanisms of Chinese influence in the media

During the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Belgrade in May 2024, Serbia and China signed 28 agreements in various fields. Of the total number of signed agreements, as many as ten related to cooperation in the field of media and communications.

 

These agreements represent an upgrade of the already existing level of cooperation between the two countries.

As part of the strengthening of media and cultural cooperation between Serbia and China, the media advisor to the President of the Republic of Serbia, Suzana Vasiljević, and the deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, director of the Chinese Media Group, Shen Haisijung, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Service for Cooperation with to the media of the President of the Republic of Serbia and the Chinese Media Group.

In addition, Dragan Bujošević, Director of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) and Shen Haisijung exchanged an Agreement on deepening cooperation between RTS and the Chinese Media Group. In the meantime, the general director of the TANJUG News Agency, Manja Grčić, and the director of the Xinhua Agency, Fu Hua, signed the Agreement on the exchange of news and cooperation between these two news agencies.

The editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Politika", Marko Albunović, and Shen Haixiung signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the newspaper and magazine "Politika" and the Chinese Media Group.

In the field of cultural cooperation, the Minister of Culture, Nikola Selaković, and Shen Haixiung exchanged a Letter of Intent between the Ministry of Culture of Serbia and the Chinese Media Group. On that occasion, the Program of cooperation in the field of culture for the period from 2025 to 2028 was signed, as well as the Joint Statement on the official establishment of the Chinese Cultural Center in Belgrade.

In the field of digital economy and communications, the Minister of Information and Telecommunications, Dejan Ristić, signed a Memorandum on strengthening cooperation in the digital economy, a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in information and communication technologies, as well as an Agreement on radio-television and online audio-visual cooperation.

The signed agreements confirm that the Chinese Media Group is the main actor in deepening the media presence of Chinese media companies on the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

Chinese presence in this area is not new. Some of the obvious examples of Chinese presence in the media is the marketing of media content through the Internet portals of Serbian media, which were signatories to the agreement.

On the Internet portal of the daily newspaper Politika, a special section is dedicated to the reproduction of content created by the Chinese media group under the name "The Story of China", while the Radio Television of Serbia reserved the standard time slot on Tuesdays at 8 pm for the broadcast of documentaries produced by China.

In addition to state-owned media houses, cooperation with commercial media has also been developed. Thus, on the "Nedeljnika" portal, but also as a supplement to the printed edition, a special edition called "China Today" was published for a long time.

 

This special edition is no longer part of the weekly magazine, while the special section has been removed from the website. However, announcements of previous releases can still be found on social media sites. Also, when visiting the Internet portal of Happy television, which has national coverage, one can see the banner of China International Radio, and the texts about China are mostly reproductions of CRI Serbian content, which will also be placed in the television program.

What all these media have in common is that they mostly reproduce content created by the Chinese media group, which in Serbia is embodied in the work and activities of CRI Srpski. However, it is not always easy to find the exact sources and map what all came out of this production because it is a complex system of marketing information, often disguised so that it looks like original content. Therefore, a deeper insight into how the Chinese media group and CRI Srpski operate in Serbia is a good indicator of the way Chinese media work in Serbia.

 

CRI Serbian – Leading channel of communication

Chinese International Radio in Serbia - CRI Serbian, actually has regional coverage. As stated on the website, it covers the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and the content created also focuses on the activities of China in North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

By looking at the description of the CRI Serbian newsroom on the website of this media, information is obtained that the newsroom of the program in the Serbian language was founded in 1961 and that a memorandum of understanding was signed with Radio Television of Serbia in 2016. However, other information indicates that the description is outdated. First, it is stated that the program can be followed through the Radio China application - which does not exist on the Google Play platform.

Also, it is stated that cooperation was established with the magazine "Nedeljnik", which indeed existed, but has since ended.

Then, the description also contains the information that the CRI Srpski program is broadcast via frequency 95.8, which is no longer in commercial use. Also, the CRI Serbian Facebook page is active, where video content produced for the purpose of promoting China, the Chinese Communist Party, is posted, but it is adapted to the Western Balkans region, and on the page you can find content that was originally created in the languages of the countries of the region.

The Facebook page is characterized by what is characteristic of other profiles on social networks controlled by China Media Group - a large number of followers and a small number of interactions. The CRI Srpski page is followed by more than 500 thousand followers, however interactions with the posts are extremely rare. This indicates a large number of fake or bot profiles that actually follow this type of profile, and the potential for misuse for propaganda purposes.

The very functioning of the Chinese media group is divided into three main aspects of operations in Serbia. The website of CRI Srpski, Ušće medija and WTF (Welcome to Fun) Radio. Each of these channels has its own special characteristics that show that they belong to the same ecosystem, all under the umbrella of China Media Group.

 

As stated in the description of the editorial office of CRI Srpski, the content of this media was previously broadcast via frequency 95.8, which belonged to a radio station called Radio Tri. In the media register of the Agency for Commercial Registers, the full name of the media is Radio Tri 95.8, which is part of the Trident Media Group.

It was also stated that the domain of the radio's website is www.radio3.rs. A simple visit to the domain shows that Radio Tri has been rebranded as Radio IN, which still broadcasts the program. Radio In's program is of an entertaining nature and is based on the broadcasting of music. In addition to the frequency in Belgrade, the website states that it is possible to listen to Radio In in Nis as well.

By visiting the website and viewing the program itself, it is concluded that there is no connection between the Chinese Media Group and Radio IN and that

Although there is no longer cooperation with the media house Radio Tri (Radio In), CRI Serbian on its website lists a partnership with Ušće Media. Ušće media does not have its own website and there is no entity called Ušće Media in the media register. What Ušće media has is its own YouTube channel1 and Facebook page.2 Content that is placed on social network profiles is content that can also be found on the website and Facebook profile of CRI Srpski, which indicates a direct connection between these two media. In addition to profiles on social networks, Ušće Media also has its own Ios and Android application3. After downloading the application, it is easy to understand that the application is actually part of the CRI Serbian ecosystem, together with the WTF Radio station. In the description of the application, the contact is the CRI head office, while the official Facebook page is CRI Srpski.

WTF Radio (100.4) is mentioned as a platform on which Ušće media is present, in the period from Monday, where the program is broadcast 7 days a week.

The content that is placed on the application is diverse. One part is a video production that aims to promote certain aspects of China as a country and is dedicated to China as such.  

The second part is localized, and presents video or audio content that focuses on Serbia and the connection between Serbia and China. The third element is video production, also available on the Usce media YouTube page, and this content is of a political nature, with a very strong ideological coloring. An example of this content is the show "Region", which deals with current socio-political topics through a conversation with a guest, who is presented as an expert in the field that is the focus of the conversation.

In audio format, CRI Serbian content is also broadcast on WTF Radio. WTF Radio has its own website. The radio broadcasts mainly music in its program and there is nothing on the Internet presentation to indicate that the radio station itself has a connection with the Chinese media group, CRI Serbian or China as such.

However, in audio format, the radio broadcasts the same program that can be found on the Ušće Media application, and has an informative program that focuses on China and Chinese activities on a global level. What is particularly important to note is that WTF Radio is registered in the media register and that the editor-in-chief is Aleksandar Mitrović, the son of the owner of Pink Corporation and a media mogul extremely close to the ruling elite of the Republic of Serbia, Željko Mitrović. In addition to broadcasting the CRI Serbian program, WTF radio has another connection with China. As stated in the text of the daily newspaper Danas, until 2017, WTF radio was called "Sport FM" and was owned by journalist Zvonimir

Šimunec. Five years ago, Šimunec sold this radio to the company "Globalstars Media Limited" based in Cyprus, whose owners are Lai Liang and Zhu Wang.

Various components make up a whole of the presence of content placed by CRI Serbian through traditional media (radio), Internet media (portals) and new communication channels (social networks, applications). This further represents only one component of the activities of the Chinese Media Group in Serbia, because in addition to CRI, CGTN and CCTV are also present. Along with other channels of communication that originate from the Chinese Communist Party, as well as domestic actors, they make the information distribution system complex, but not completely incomprehensible. This type of communication is characteristic of systems with authoritarian leadership, and is especially successful in systems with similar characteristics.

 

*The author of the analysis is Stefan Vladisavljev, program director of the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society