However, it is not the first time that the government in Berlin mentioned the plan as former Chancellor Angela Merkel once said her country is interested in lithium from Serbia.China’s initiative is creating a network of states that are becoming politically dependent and indebtedThe proclaimed priorities are digitalization, climate and energy, transport, health, and education and research.China produces 65% of battery-grade lithium materialsThe world’s most populous nation is building highways, ports and railway lines all over the world, and creating a network of countries that are politically dependent on China, and indebted through its international loans.The initiative is aimed at strengthening the EU’s influence in Asia through the construction of roads between Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, and projects in Uzbekistan.As an example of projects that are part of the initiative in the energy sector, the European Commission pointed to the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor, which is set to connect the electricity transmission systems of BiH, Montenegro, and Serbia, with Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and Romania."