The Hrvatske Ceste company and a Chinese consortium led by the China Road and Bridge Corporation signed a contract worth around €281 million to construct a bridge to the Peljesac peninsula in Croatia.

The visit has confirmed the suspicion that Serbia considers China to be its strategic partner, which is important not only because of the economic co-operation.

The development of the ‘16+1’ format largely reflected China’s strategic aims defined at the beginning of the diplomatic offensive in the region.

One of the principal aims underlying China’s development of the ‘16+1’ format is to increase its soft power in Europe.

Regardless of the limited effectiveness of activities carried out so far, China has continued its ‘16+1’ initiative.

So far the intensification of political contacts has not been accompanied by the dynamic influx of Chinese investment which the region’s governments expected.