1st LD Writethru: Chinese premier says to promote high-level development of China-Belarus bilateral partnership

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, Belarus, Aug. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

China stands ready to work with the Belarusian side to push for the high-level development of their all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership, said Chinese Premier Li Qiang when meeting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday.

MINSK, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Thursday that China stands ready to work with the Belarusian side to push for the high-level development of their all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.

Li made the remarks while meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Palace of Independence in Minsk.

Li conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to Lukashenko. Li said that China-Belarus relations, regardless of how the international situation changes, have always shown vigor and vitality since the establishment of diplomatic ties 32 years ago.

The two sides adhere to mutual benefit and common development, and their practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples, Li noted, pointing out that the two heads of state met in Astana this July and made strategic arrangements on deepening bilateral relations.

China is willing to work with Belarus to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continuously consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and push for the high-level development of the China-Belarus all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership to better benefit the two peoples, Li said.

Noting that China will continue to firmly support Belarus in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, Li said that China stands ready to further synergize development strategies with Belarus, solidly advance cooperation in various fields, steadily expand trade scale, effectively implement projects such as the China-Belarus Industrial Park, and continuously deepen people-to-people exchanges.

Li also said that China is willing to further strengthen multilateral cooperation with Belarus, jointly promote the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, promote the development of the global governance system towards a more just and reasonable direction, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Palace of Independence in Minsk, Belarus, Aug. 22, 2024. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

Lukashenko asked Li to convey his sincere greetings to Xi. Noting the two countries have always firmly supported each other on major issues concerning each other's core interests, he said that the Belarus-China relations are enjoying a strong momentum of development and are at an all-time high.

The Belarusian side sincerely appreciates China's long-term selfless assistance to its economic and social development, Lukashenko said, adding that Belarus stands ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, deepen practical cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, agriculture, science and technology.

Belarus is willing to actively participate in the important global initiatives proposed by President Xi and make greater progress of the Belarus-China all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership, said Lukashenko.