Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to pay state visit to China

The Belarusian president, targeted by international sanctions in particular because of his support for the Russian offensive in Ukraine, will go to China, Beijing announced on Saturday February 25. “At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, (…) Alexander Lukashenko will make a state visit to China from February 28 to March 2.said a spokeswoman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During a telephone conversation the day before, the Chinese Foreign Minister told his Belarusian counterpart of Beijing’s willingness to work with Minsk to deepen their mutual political trust. China will also continue to help Belarus maintain national stability. She intends to oppose the attempts of “external forces” to interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus or to impose unilateral sanctions “illegal” in Minsk, said a press release.

Belarus is under European and American sanctions for its crackdown on the opposition, and for allowing the Russian army to pass through its territory to invade Ukraine, on February 24, 2022. In September last year, Xi Jinping and Alexander Lukashenko announced a strategic partnership during a meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.