By Alina Grishkevich
Our two countries began with a trade turnover of about $30m; now, the figure has reached almost $3bn — as announced by Belarus’ Foreign Minister, Sergei Martynov. Speaking at a solemn event dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Belarusian-Chinese diplomatic relations, he stressed that, by historical standards, this is a relatively short period. However, it has been hugely significant, as Belarus has been building and strengthening its statehood and independence, while China has been rapidly building its power. Both have been successfully liaising and achieving good results.
Belarusian-Chinese co-operation is successfully developing at presidential and governmental levels, as well as between ordinary citizens. At present, the states are closely collaborating in a host of spheres — including spacecraft development.
According to the Minister, our strategic partnership was fixed in documents signed during a visit by the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, to Beijing, in 2009. The two leaders signed a joint declaration guiding bilateral relations at a strategic level.
