In 2013, former Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremi? left his position at the UN, became a consultant for CEFC China Energy, a company with links to the United Front. With the help of CEFC funding and influence, Jeremi? established a think tank, the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), in Belgrade. Over the next few years, CEFC continued to fund both Jeremi? and the CIRSD, and the think tank held events and published papers extolling the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and explaining how a strong relationship with China benefits Serbia. Multiple scandals broke around Jeremi? ‘s associates’ involvement in corruption and bribery. China uses “United Front” work to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP’s United Front Work Department (UFWD)—the agency responsible for coordinating these kinds of influence operations—mostly focuses on the management of potential opposition groups inside China, but it also has an important foreign influence mission.