Serbia’s mineral-rich northeast is being transformed as the Chinese Zijin Mining company expands copper and gold extraction. The mines are swallowing villages, polluting rivers, and displacing families, raising fears over health risks to the local population and cultural heritage. And as foreign investors rush to claim a share of Serbia’s minerals, Serbia’s sovereignty and autonomy are on the line.
The towns of Bor and Majdanpek, in northeastern Serbia, sit on some of the largest copper and gold deposits in Europe. Though evidence of mining activity in the region dates as far back as ancient Roman times, Bor only became a major mining hub after the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia nationalised the mines in 1951 and created the mining company RTB Bor. The establishment of the Bor Mining and Smelting Combine in 1961 sparked a period of rapid industrial expansion and demographic growth.
View of the central fruit, meat, and vegetable market in Bor. Once a small village, the town experienced dramatic growth following the discovery of large gold and copper deposits, which brought industrial development and attracted many newcomers. Today, the municipality of Bor is one of the wealthiest in Serbia, despite local salaries remaining low, as in the rest of the country. Bor, Serbia, December 2024. ©Matteo Trevisan
Granted city status in 1947, Bor attracted workers from across Yugoslavia, while Majdanpek, just 70 kilometres away, grew around another vast deposit with reserves estimated at over 600 million tonnes of ore. For decades, the two towns thrived as pillars of Yugoslav heavy industry. Those days, however, are long over.
Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) is the primary copper ore in Bor. Its metallic golden-yellow colour distinguishes it from pyrite (which is brighter and yellower). Chalcopyrite is often confused with pyrite, but it is softer and more opaque. Bor, Serbia, February 2025. ©Matteo Trevisan
Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, production in the RTB Bor dropped significantly, and the company recorded years of financial losses. In 2017, after several failed privatisation attempts, the Serbian government signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), committing to launch a tender for privatisation or strategic partnership by the following year. In 2018, Belgrade chose the Chinese Zijin Mining Group as its strategic partner, and the mining giant took over 63 per cent of RTB.
Outside the headquarters of the Chinese company Zijin Mining, large screens display promotional videos of the company’s activities in the area. Bor, Serbia, February 2025. ©Matteo Trevisan
A photograph displayed on a phone, taken by a worker inside one of the tunnels of the underground copper and gold mine owned by Zijin Mining. In 2023, Serbia exported more than a million tonnes of copper ore and concentrate, valued at 1.46 billion US dollars. The main buyer was China, which imported nearly 604,00 tonnes worth 842.6 million US dollars, followed by South Korea, Bulgaria, and Brazil.Bor, Serbia, February 2025. ©Matteo Trevisan
Since 2018, Zijin has taken over the Bor mining complex and invested 2.5 billion US dollars (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.
Jasna, with her daughter Katarina, inside their home in the village of Krivelj. The village is slowly disappearing due to the expansion of the mine, but Jasna and her loved ones are committed to defending the village and preserving their home, which has been in their family since the 1800s. “I don’t want to live anywhere else. This is home. I remember when I was a child, I used to play with my friends on a hill not far from here, but now that hill doesn’t exist anymore,” says Katarina. “My children may never even see this village because it might disappear forever.” Bor, Serbia, February 2025. ©Matteo Trevisan
“One day, we’ll have a mine under our house,” says Miodrag, a farmer from the village of Slatina, standing in front of his agricultural land, expropriated by Zijin Mining. Miodrag is currently suing the company as he believes the expropriation was unfair. His family’s livelihood depends on this land, which has now been reduced to just a few hectares. Slatina (Bor), Serbia, December 2025. ©Matteo Trevisan
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.
The Borska Reka River is one of the most polluted waterways in Europe. With a length of about 47 km and a drainage basin of 373 km², it is the main tributary of the Veliki Timok River. 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.Bor, Serbia, September 2024. ©Matteo Trevisan
Bor and Majdanpek are emblematic of a wider trend. By 2022, Chinese investments in Serbia had reached a level equivalent to the combined total of all 27 EU member states, sparking debates on strategic autonomy and a possible loss of sovereignty. 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 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.
A betting shop in the town of Bor. 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. Bor, Serbia, February 2025. ©Matteo Trevisan
Debates around mining in Serbia are not limited to copper, nor is China the only investor eager to put its hands on the country’s rich natural resources. In a bid to reduce its dependence on China for critical mineral resources needed for the green transition, the EU has pushed for lithium extraction in the area around Jadar, in the western part of Serbia. Mining plans have sparked mass demonstrations all over the central European countrymass demonstrations all over country.
Families abandon their homes due to the expansion of the mine Shot at night with flash, this black and white photo evokes a sense of lost familiarity. Bor, Serbia, February 2025. ©Matteo Trevisan
While president Aleksandar Vučić’s authoritarian government claims lithium extraction would respect strict environmental norms, the experience of local communities in Bor and Majdanpek tells a different story.
A glimpse inside the train station of Bor, now abandoned after a 2023 fire that destroyed much of the roof. Some residents suspect arson, believing that the Chinese company Zijin Mining started the blaze as it was interested in expanding its operations in the area and acquiring the railway land. There is no official evidence to support this claim. Bor, Serbia, October 2024. ©Matteo Trevisan
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.
Aerial view of the copper and gold mine in Bor. The effects of intensive extraction and smelting are felt across the region, and air quality is a major concern. Bor, Serbia, September 2024. ©Matteo Trevisan
Bor and Majdanpek embody the human and environmental cost of extractive expansion in Serbia. Histories, homes, and traditions are under threat as the rush for critical minerals intensifies.