Xi reaffirmed his support for the Belarusian dictator after his meeting with Putin, amid increasing pressure on Minsk due to the war in Ukraine
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The President of China, Xi Jinping, reaffirmed on Monday Beijing's support for the government of Belarus during a meeting in Beijing with President Alexander Lukashenko, in a meeting that highlights the growing cooperation between two regimes closely linked to Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
Lukashenko's visit came just days after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Valdai residence, which reinforces political coordination between Moscow, Minsk, and Beijing at a time of heightened regional tension.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi stated that China supports Belarus in defending its ''sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity'' and called for maintaining permanent strategic communication to deepen bilateral relations. The leader also expressed that Beijing will continue to provide assistance to Belarus ''within its capabilities'' to promote its development.
The communist regime of Xi Jinping expressed its full support for the Belarusian regime of Lukashenko following its rapprochement with Putin's government
The statements come in a context where China seeks to project itself as a stabilizing actor on the international stage, although several Western governments question that image due to its close association with Moscow and its refusal to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During the meeting, Lukashenko described his visit to China as a return ''home,'' according to Belarusian state media, and stated that the relationship between the two countries is at its best historical moment. The official channel of the Presidency of Belarus claimed that bilateral cooperation has reached a ''historic peak,'' reflecting the strengthening of an alliance that has gained greater relevance since Minsk's international isolation following the repression of the 2020 protests and its political support for the Kremlin.
The meeting took place after a two-day trip by Lukashenko to Russia, where he held private talks with Putin. Although the meeting was not initially announced, it generated speculation due to the increasing tensions between Belarus and Ukraine.
Lukashenko described his relationship with Beijing as ''at its best moment''
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned that the Kremlin is trying to pressure Lukashenko to increase Belarusian military support for the Russian campaign in Ukraine. So far, the Belarusian leader has avoided directly involving his armed forces in the conflict, although he allowed his country's territory to be used by the Russian army to launch the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In recent days, Zelensky even publicly demanded that Belarus deactivate systems installed on its territory that, according to Kiev, facilitated the navigation of Russian drones during their attacks against Ukraine. Subsequently, the Ukrainian president himself stated that Minsk had complied with that request.
In an interview, Lukashenko also acknowledged that Belarus would be vulnerable to potential attacks from Ukrainian drones and expressed that he would regret if at any point his statements towards Zelensky had been inappropriate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia seeks to have Minsk increase its support for Moscow in the war
After the Valdai meeting, Putin publicly defended his Belarusian ally and assured that Lukashenko would not be intimidated by pressures from Kiev. The Russian leader also praised Belarus's potential role as a host for future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, a possibility that Kiev views with skepticism due to Minsk's close political and military dependence on the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, the message issued by China during Lukashenko's visit was interpreted by some analysts as an attempt to present Belarus as an independent state, despite its growing economic, political, and security dependence on Russia. By insisting on respect for Belarusian sovereignty, Beijing seems to send a signal to both Moscow and Kiev, while maintaining its close relationship with the Russian government.
China continues to present itself as a neutral actor in the war, but its position generates criticism in numerous Western capitals. Beijing has avoided condemning the Russian invasion, has strengthened its economic cooperation with Moscow, and maintains high-level contacts with Kremlin allies like Belarus, a policy that its critics consider incompatible with its discourse of support for international stability.
The government of Vladimir Putin defended Lukashenko and praised Belarus's role as a mediator in the war
