The European Union and the People’s Republic of China are widely recognised as two of the leading powers in the global energy transition today. While the EU has set an ambitious goal to become the world’s first decarbonised region by 2050, China has emerged as a leader in renewable energy over recent decades, demonstrating an impressive shift from a carbon-intensive economy to a global leader in the energy transition. This paper aims to identify key insights from China’s renewable energy-driven economic growth for the Republic of Serbia, considering Serbia’s unique energy context based on fossil fuels, high energy, and carbon intensity. As an EU candidate country, Serbia is expected to align with the EU’s energy acquis communautaire and environmental requirements yet lacks access to EU cohesion funds, making external investments essential for initiating its energy transformation. One of the potential solutions to these challenges may emerge from Serbian renewable energy cooperation with China. Moreover, Serbia could leverage insights from China’s sustainable growth strategy to enhance its progress towards EU integration by utilising renewable energy as an economic catalyst. To fulfil the aim of this research, this study employs an analysis of Serbia’s investment potential, regulatory framework, and overall readiness for embracing energy transition, underpinned by a historical approach towards analysing the development of China’s sustainable energy strategy. The paper will also offer recommendations based on these findings for Serbia’s energy transition.