China is increasingly active in Europe. Serbia has a particularly close relationship with China: Since 2010, the Chinese have invested some $8.5 billion there. But who are the people who keep things running on the ground?
When it comes to implementing China’s giant "New Silk Road" project, Serbia came in second place worldwide in 2022. But the story is complex: While Chinese companies are buying up the eastern part of the country around the Bor copper mine and extracting raw materials there on a large scale, second-generation Chinese in Serbia are beginning to realize their dreams.
Take Weiya Chen, a 25-year-old Chinese woman who wants to open her own café. Her family initially earned money thanks to a shoe store in Belgrade's Chinatown. Weiya has managed to rise to the middle class, but still remains Chinese at heart - at least when it comes to politics. Danilo Krivokapic, on the other hand, views the political opinions of his fellow Chinese with concern. Belgrade is in the process of installing cameras throughout the city - up to 8,000 are planned - that can be upgraded with Chinese facial recognition software. While Krivokapic fights to maintain European standards in data protection, the business world is pouncing on attractive offers from Chinese companies. Then there is 36-year-old Goran-Liu, who has made it his mission to mediate between Chinese and Serbian businesses - and offer the best deals.
Anna Tillack and Nikolaus Neumaier portray the people involved in this global project on the ground, ask about their motivations and dreams and offer a rare look behind the scenes of the otherwise closed community.
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