Tinderbox, Belt & Road: China in the Balkans

US, 2023 (54 min.)

In recent years, Chinese investment has poured into Southeast Europe, offering access to desperately-needed development financing. But at what cost? The conditions around the cash have raised concerns related to democracy, labor standards, and debt.  It is part of a China’s Belt and Road initiative, and an extension of the controversial approach China has already taken in Africa and Latin America.  Why are European countries now turning to China? And what does it mean for the continent’s future?  From the copper mines of Eastern Serbia, to Montenegro’s billion-dollar highway to nowhere, this film goes on the frontlines of China’s economic advancements into Europe.