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In 2018, Serbia chose the Chinese Zijin Mining Group as its strategic partner, and the mining giant took over 63 per cent of RTB [a Serbian mining company that was formerly 100% state-owned].
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Since 2018, Zijin has taken over the Bor [a city in Serbia] mining complex and invested 2.3 billion euros to expand operations. This enlargement is not just industrial – it is reshaping the landscape and the lives of local communities. Entire families are witnessing their homes, land, and memories vanish as the mine swallows settlements. Meanwhile, the Serbian government has offered no real options for resettlement.
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The environmental consequences of the mining rush are also severe: forests, rivers, and wildlife have been devastated, and residents breathe some of the most polluted air in Europe.
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The Borska Reka River is one of the most polluted waterways in Europe. [...] Sediment analysis has shown high concentrations of copper, arsenic, and nickel, exceeding remediation thresholds, particularly near mining areas. As a result, the Borska Reka is considered a “dead river,” devoid of aquatic life, with severe environmental impacts that extend to the Danube via the Timok.
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The fact that Chinese contractors were responsible for renovating the canopy in Novi Sad’s rail station – which later collapsed, killing 16 people and sparking the largest protests in Serbia’s history – only adds to the complexity of China’s presence in Serbia. In [the cities of] Bor and Majdanpek, this engagement is at the same time both significant and invisible. Thousands of workers brought from China live in isolated camps, rarely interacting with the local population.
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Although Chinese presence is barely visible in the city –Chinese workers live in camps inside the mining complexes, which are inaccessible to the local population – several Chinese-operated betting shops have opened in recent years. These venues signage in Chinese and are intended to attract company managers and senior staff, who are allowed to leave the camps, unlike the regular workers from China.
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While [Serbian] president Aleksandar Vučić’s authoritarian government claims lithium extraction would respect strict environmental norms, the experience of local communities in [the cities of] Bor and Majdanpek tells a different story.
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A report published in January 2024 revealed frequent spikes of sulphur dioxide (SO2) in the Bor area, responsible for both acute and chronic respiratory problems as well as acid rain. The study also detected PM10 fine particles containing heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic. Despite the proven adverse effects of mining, no systematic assessment of public health has been carried out since Zijin took over operations. However, the Batut Institute of Public Health has published a study showing an increased mortality risk for both men and women in Bor across all age groups.
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