China is planning to host a major autocratic ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin on a state visit, despite concerns from US officials that Beijing may consider assisting Moscow in its ongoing assault on Ukraine.
Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko will meet with Chinese officials in Beijing from Tuesday through Thursday, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China’s Foreign Ministry stated on Sunday.
His visit comes after the two leaders agreed in September to upgrade their nations’ ties to a “all-weather comprehensive strategic cooperation” on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, which Putin also attended.
The visit by Lukashenko, who permitted Russian soldiers to launch their initial incursion into Ukraine last year, comes as tensions between the US and China have risen in recent weeks, with Washington concerned that Beijing is considering delivering lethal aid to the Kremlin’s floundering war campaign.
Beijing has responded to those charges, saying on Monday that China is “actively encouraging peace talks and the political settlement of the issue,” while the US is “pouring dangerous weapons into the battlefield in Ukraine.”
However, despite its “no-limits” alliance with Russia, China claims to be a neutral player in the Ukraine crisis.
In a paper urging for peace negotiations to end the year-long war, Beijing presented a 12-point position on the “political solution” to the crisis on Friday. But, its release was attacked by Western officials, who accused China of already siding with Russia.
Xi has yet to communicate with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia’s invasion began, while he has spoken with Putin several times, including in person during the SCO conference.
In an interview with the Chinese state news agency Xinhua published before of his arrival, Lukashenko is quoted as stating the position paper was a testament to China’s peaceful foreign policy and a fresh and original initiative with far-reaching implications.
While increasing commercial connections between China and Belarus are expected to be a prominent component of this week’s talks, the situation in Ukraine will loom large.
In response to Moscow’s aggressiveness, the US and its allies imposed sweeping sanctions on Belarus after Lukashenko authorised Russian soldiers to invade Ukraine via the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) Ukrainian-Belarusian border north of Kiev.
Belarus already had strained relations with Western countries, with the European Union refusing to recognise the results of Lukashenko’s 2020 election victory, which provoked nationwide pro-democracy protests and was met with a ruthless government crackdown.
Throughout the Ukrainian crisis, there have been suspicions that Belarus may be used as a launch pad for another Russian offensive, or that Lukashenko’s own army will join the fight. Before to his visit to Moscow earlier this month, Lukashenko stated that his country would not send troops into Ukraine unless it was attacked.
Given Belarus’ strained relations with the West and a need to diversify its Russia-dependent economy, Lukashenko may prioritise strengthening business ties with China during this visit.
Belarus was an early adopter of China’s Belt and Road economic programme, which was established a decade ago, and trade between the two climbed 33% year on year last year, surpassing $5 billion, according to Xinhua.
In a phone call with his Belarussian counterpart Sergei Aleinik on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang pledged that China would “support Belarus in its efforts to safeguard national stability and development,” as well as “oppose external interference in Belarus’ internal affairs and illegal unilateral sanctions against the country,” according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout.
During a regular briefing on Monday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official stated that Lukashenko’s visit would be “an occasion to promote further progress in the two countries’ overall cooperation.”
