China, Belarus eye deepening cooperation in trade, innovation

China and Belarus have set out priorities for future bilateral cooperation during Premier Li Qiang's first visit to the country as Chinese premier, vowing greater efforts in promoting trade and investment, scientific innovation, infrastructure connectivity and other fields.

When meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko in Minsk on Thursday, Li said China and Belarus enjoy a time-honored traditional friendship and the two countries' all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership has been developing in depth under the strategic guidance of the two presidents.

China will work with Belarus to jointly build the Belt and Road, further tap cooperation potential in areas including the digital economy and green development, and expand people-to-people exchanges in education, culture and tourism, he said.

Golovchenko hailed the significant progress made in bilateral ties in recent years, saying that Belarus will remain a good friend and partner of China, firmly abide by the one-China principle and support China's position on issues concerning Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Xizang.

Belarus will expand practical cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative framework, strengthen exchanges at the local and people-to-people levels, and enhance coordination in international and multilateral affairs with China, he said.

In a joint communique issued following the meeting, the two sides decided that the core midterm task for the two governments until 2030 will be the sharing and learning of experiences and achievements from Chinese modernization.

According to the communique, the two sides welcomed a bilateral trade and investment agreement in the services sector and promised to make it enter into force at an early date.

It was agreed that China and Belarus will jointly organize years of scientific and technological innovation from 2024 to 2025, support cooperation between scientific research institutions, universities and enterprises, and encourage the establishment of joint scientific research institutions such as laboratories and high-tech parks.

To strengthen cooperation on the China-Europe Railway Express, the two sides decided to set up an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism on the service in order to enhance connectivity, and jointly ensure the safety of the China-Europe freight train transport corridor.

Serving as a safe and reliable rail line linking Asia and Europe, the railway service, which as of August connected 122 Chinese cities with 224 cities across 25 European countries, has most of its container railway routes passing through Belarus.

Wrapping up his four-day visit, which also brought him to Russia, the premier paid a visit to the China-Belarus Industrial Park before returning to China on Friday.

As a special economic zone created by the two countries in Minsk, the industrial park is a landmark cooperation project within the BRI framework.