From coal plants to airports and bridges, China is forking out for investments across the Western Balkans, laying the groundwork for a new battle for influence on the European Union’s fringe.The West has long eyed Russia as its chief rival in this turbulent corner of southeast Europe, but there is another major player in town, as Chinese firms fill development gaps in these cash-strapped countries, where dreams of entering the EU keep sliding towards the horizon.The EU accounts for more than 70…