Xi: China ready to bolster strategic interaction with Belarus

MINSK. Dec 4 (Interfax) - China is ready to bolster strategic interaction with Belarusian partners, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at negotiations with Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Beijing on Monday.

"Maintaining stability and long-term development is very important to China. We have been very successful in doing so. The modern world is undergoing titanic changes, while new risks and challenges are emerging. We did not expect much of what's happening. The Chinese side is ready, together with Belarusian partners, to bolster strategic interaction for the sake of building the Community of Shared Future for Mankind," the Belarusian presidential press service quoted Xi as saying.

The Belt and Road initiative was just a concept ten years, but now over 140 countries and international organizations are cooperating within its framework, Xi said.

"We reached important agreements aimed at the dynamic development of Chinese-Belarusian relations during your state visit to China in late February and early March of this year. We achieve new agreements at every stge. Political interaction, international cooperation has been strengthening over the year. New results of cooperation within the Road and Belt initiative are obvious," Xi said.

According to the EFE news agency, the Chinese president noted the long history of partnership with Belarus and mutual support. He said Belarus should "continue to follow the path which meets its national interests."

The sides exchanged views on the conflict in Ukraine, the agency said, without providing details.

The previous meeting of the Chinese and Belarusian leaders took place in March 2023, when Xi declared China's intention to build political confidence and to broaden practical cooperation with Belarus.