Lukashenko strengthens cooperation with China, following Putin’s lead
Self-proclaimed President of Belarusб Alexander Lukashenko (photo: Getty Images)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang has arrived in Minsk after Moscow. Following a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, both sides stated strengthening cooperation across various sectors, including trade, security, energy, and finance, reports Reuters.
The statement highlights that China and Belarus will also enhance cooperation in supply chains and continue to streamline trade to reduce costs for both parties.
Belarus also plans to deepen its collaboration with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, a megacity covering nine cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai, according to a statement from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
China Daily reported that Belarus was among the first countries to respond to China's Belt and Road Initiative. During his visit to Minsk, Li Qiang noted that Sino-Belarusian relations have remained vibrant over the past 32 years despite changes in the international landscape.
According to the Chinese edition, China is Belarus's second-largest trading partner and its largest trading partner in Asia. Last year, bilateral trade exceeded $8.4 billion.
Li Qiang arrived in Belarus on Thursday after concluding his first visit to Russia as China's premier.
In July, the Japanese agency Nikkei reported that Chinese companies have continued to export high-precision components used in Russian weaponry to Belarusian defense contractors, even after they were sanctioned over the war in Ukraine.
