Chinese, Belarusian senior officials hold talks in Beijing

China is willing to increase the import of high-quality products from Belarus and jointly promote the steady development of the China-Belarus Industrial Park, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said while meeting with the First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Nikolai Snopkov in Beijing on Monday.

Wang said China is striving to conclude the negotiations on the China-Belarus agreement on trade and investment in service sector as soon as possible, strengthening cooperation in the China-Europe freight train service, while continuously deepening economic and trade cooperation between the two countries at all levels.

China and Belarus share the All-weather Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships. Under the strategic guidance of their top leaderships, bilateral economic and trade cooperation has made positive progress, investment cooperation has been well promoted, and significant achievements have been made in key projects construction.

In meeting with Wang, Snopkov said Belarus has always been a reliable strategic partner of China, and the Belarusian side actively acknowledges the achievements in China-Belarus economic and trade relations and is willing to expand the export of high-quality products to China.

In addition to seeking to strengthen cooperation in key projects with China, Belarus welcomes Chinese companies to invest and operate in the China-Belarus Industrial Park, the signature project under China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Snopkov said.

The meeting on Monday served as a continuation of high-level exchanges following the successful visit of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to China in late February and early March, during which the leaders of both countries emphasized the need to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in various areas, including trade, investment, and innovation, injecting fresh impetus into the ongoing development of China-Belarus relations and outlining a more ambitious blueprint for future cooperation.

China-Belarus trade has experienced a notable surge, signaling the anticipation of strengthened bilateral relations. Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that from January to May, the trade volume between the two countries reached $3.72 billion, exhibiting a year-on-year growth of 127 percent.

The surge in trade volume has solidified China's position as Belarus' second-largest trading partner, while Belarus holds significance as a key trading partner for China in the Eurasian region. Additionally, the growing trend is evidenced by the increasing number of Chinese companies opting to invest in Belarus.