A picture taken on March 30, 2020, shows a billboard bearing Chinese President Xi Jinping’s face looking down over a boulevard next to the words “Thank you brother Xi”, a message paid for and by a pro-government tabloid. – When six Chinese doctors landed in Belgrade two weeks ago, Serbia’s president greeted them with elbow-bumps before laying a kiss on their country’s flag, a gesture of gratitude that sent Chinese social media aflutter. These doctors are now running the Balkan state’s COVID-19 strategy, as Serbia becomes a willing theatre for Beijing’s “mask diplomacy”. For weeks China has been showering European countries with millions of face masks, test kits and other aid, recasting itself as the hero in the battle against coronavirus. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP) (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)