A handout photo made available by the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus shows Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (R) and Chinese Premier Li Qiang (L) shaking hands during a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, 22 August 2024. (EPA-EFE/BELARUS PRESIDENT PRESS SERVICE POOL HANDOUT)

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China, Belarus agree to strengthen cooperation in trade, security

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China and Belarus have agreed to strengthen cooperation in a range of sectors including trade, security, energy and finance, according to a joint statement after Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko in Minsk.

The statement released on Friday, a day after the Minsk meeting, said both countries would also strengthen cooperation in industrial supply chains and continue to enhance trade facilitation to reduce costs for both ends.

A handout photo made available by the Press Service of the President of the Republic of Belarus shows Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (C, rear) with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (L, front) during a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, 22 August 2024. EPA-EFE/BELARUS PRESIDENT PRESS SERVICE POOL HANDOUT — MANDATORY CREDIT — HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

Belarus also intends to deepen cooperation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, a megalopolis which covers nine cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, said the statement published by China’s foreign ministry.

According to the China Daily, Belarus was among the first group of countries that responded to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Li said during his visit to Minsk that China-Belarus relations had remained vibrant for the past 32 years despite the changing international landscape.

China is the second-largest trading partner of Belarus and its largest trading partner in Asia, with bilateral trade exceeding $8.4bn last year, said the China Daily.

Li arrived in Belarus on Thursday after wrapping up his first visit to Russia as Chinese premier.