Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, Belarusian state media reported. This is his second trip to China this year.
BelTA said, citing Lukashenko’s press service:
The agenda includes issues of trade, economic, investment and international cooperation.
Lukashenko said that the rise in the level of relations between the two countries had given a powerful impetus to deepening traditional areas, as well as the launch of new vectors and mechanisms of co-operation. He assured his Chinese counterpart:
Belarus has been, is and will be a reliable partner for China.
After their first talks this year, Xi said that the China-Belarus “friendship is unbreakable, and the two sides should constantly enhance political mutual trust and remain each other’s true friends and good partners.” The Belarusian leader reminded:
This friendship is more than 30 years old and we have never turned off this path. Neither left nor right.
The Belarusian leader hinted that Minsk was not quite satisfied with the pace of rapprochement with China. In turn, Xi Jinping preferred to emphasise not acceleration but deepening relations with Minsk, which should manifest itself in joining forces to “transform the system of global governance”. Xi Jinping addressed the guest:
At every stage, we are getting new agreements. During the year, political mutual trust, international interaction has been strengthened. There are new results of cooperation within the framework of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.
A little earlier, journalists found out that Belarus and China were planning to hold another joint military exercise. Preliminarily, the training process is scheduled for 2024.
Last year, Minsk and Beijing reached record highs in trade turnover, nearly six billion dollars. Exports of Belarusian goods to China increased by more than 70%.
