Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko meets with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.

Pavel Orlovsky/BELTA/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Pavel Orlovsky/BELTA/AFP through Getty Photographs

Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko meets with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping in Beijing on Wednesday.

Pavel Orlovsky/BELTA/AFP through Getty Photographs

Chinese language chief Xi Jinping met on Wednesday with Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and an in depth ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In response to Chinese language state media, Lukashenko was welcomed with a 21-gun salute in Tiananmen Sq., the place he reviewed honor guard troops with Xi, who later declared the China-Belarus friendship “unbreakable.”

The assembly comes every week after Beijing referred to as for a cease-fire and peace talks to finish the warfare between Russia and Ukraine, each neighbors of Belarus. It additionally follows a pledge by China and Russia to strengthen their cooperation.

“Within the face of a global scenario stuffed with instability and uncertainty, China is able to work along with Belarus to advertise the wholesome and steady growth of relations between the 2 international locations at a excessive degree,” Xi was cited as telling Lukashenko.

Xi mentioned the 2 sides ought to proceed to boost political mutual belief and “at all times be one another’s true mates and good companions.” China and Belarus “ought to help one another’s chosen growth path, help one another in safeguarding core pursuits, oppose interference in inside affairs by exterior forces, and safeguard the sovereignty and political safety of each international locations.”

China’s state Xinhua information company mentioned the 2 leaders exchanged views on the Ukraine scenario, with Xi reiterating China’s place.

Lukashenko was cited as saying that Belarus “totally shares and helps” China’s place and proposal for a political settlement of the disaster.

Outlined in a Chinese language International Ministry coverage paper on final week’s anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine warfare, the plan additionally criticizes unilateral sanctions and requires recognition of the “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all international locations.”

China maintains shut ties to Russia and has by no means condemned its invasion of Ukraine.

The US has been dismissive of China’s coverage paper, though the leaders of Ukraine and France responded extra positively and mentioned they needed to debate it with Xi.

Russian forces launched a part of their offensive on Ukraine final yr by way of Belarus.

Xi and Lukashenko signed a joint assertion on the additional growth of the “China-Belarus All-Climate Strategic Partnership,” and witnessed the signing of quite a lot of bilateral cooperation paperwork within the fields of commerce, business, agriculture, customs, science and know-how, well being, tourism, sports activities, localities and others.

Lukashenko has been president of the previous Soviet republic since 1994, and received a sixth time period in 2020 in a election extensively considered as fraudulent. Lukashenko retaining energy in aftermath of the election set off months of avenue protests, which the regime met with a violent crackdown.

His authorities and associates have come beneath repeated rounds of Western sanctions over these occasions and for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.