Serbia's president Aleksandar Vučić has announced that Air Serbia would start a service from Belgrade to Tianjin. The move follows Hainan's announcement that it would start a service from Beijing to Belgrade. The route is planned to commence in October but is pending government approval.
Serbia and China are building relations, and these flights will strengthen ties between the two. The two countries are currently in a free trade negotiation, and an agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the year.
Air Serbia plans on using its Airbus A330-200 on the route. Notably, Air Serbia is one of the few European airlines allowed to enter Russian airspace. In addition, Air Serbia still flies to Moscow and St. Petersburg. So, flying between Serbia and China won't be an issue in terms of flying over Russia.