Beijing

China, Belarus to Sign Papers on Cooperation

Minsk and Beijing will sign documents on cooperation, during Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s visit to China next week, Chinese envoy to the republic Xie Xiaoyong said Monday.

The sides will exchange opinions on bilateral relations, and discuss international and regional matters, leading up to signing documents on cooperation, including in politics, economy, and trade.

"Every visit of Alexander Lukashenko to China brings the bilateral relations further and becomes a milestone event in the history of the Chinese-Belarusian relations," a major Russian state-owned news agency TASS quoted Xie Xiaoyong.

Lukashenko’s visit to China will strengthen ties between two strategic partners, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday.

According to the Hill, a summary of a phone call between Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang showed both countries prioritize bilateral cooperation.

Xi Jinping and Lukashenko already met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Samarkand in September, “during which they drew a new blueprint for the development of China-Belarus relations,” Chinese state media China Daily reported.

Lukashenko’s visit comes amid raised concerns in Washington that China is considering providing “lethal aid” to Russia in its ongoing war in Ukraine.

Top U.S. officials have warned China of the significant consequences if Beijing goes forward with the plan. Meanwhile, China has denied allegations and accused the Biden administration of spreading lies.

Having a long history of being allies, Belarus is one of the few countries that have openly supported Russia throughout the war and allowed the Kremlin to use its territories during the invasion.

The announcement on Lukashenko’s visit comes a day after China released its 12-point “position paper” in an effort to end the war in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy said he is open to meeting with Xi Jinping to discuss some points of the proposal.

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