President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and Chairman of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping met in Samarkand, where the leaders of the countries arrived to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on September 15-16, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
The Head of State has met with Chairman of the PRC Xi Jinping 11 times: during visits to the PRC in 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; on the sidelines of the Tashkent (2016), Astana (2017), Bishkek (2019) SCO summits; and also during Xi Jinping's visit to Belarus in 2015.
In September 2016, the leaders of Belarus and China established relations of trustful comprehensive strategic partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation. A principled agreement has been reached to elevate the level to "iron brotherhood, exemplary comprehensive strategic cooperation and all-weather partnership".
To address priority tasks for the development of relations with Beijing and to bring practical cooperation to a qualitatively new level, Directive No. 9 of the President of Belarus "On the Development of Bilateral Relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People's Republic of China" was signed on December 3, 2021.
China traditionally ranks among the top three largest trading partners of Belarus. As of the end of 2021, trade with China reached $5.1 billion (111.5% compared to 2020), exports amounted to $911.9 million (117.3%), and imports reached $4.19 billion (110.3%). For January-July 2022, the volume of goods trade was $3.07 billion (110.2% compared to the same period in 2021), exports were $943.3 million (198.9%), and imports were $2.13 billion (growth rate of 92.4%).
Key export growth areas include: potash fertilizers, frozen beef, poultry meat and offal, sawn timber, condensed and dried milk and cream, specific goods, and whey. The structure of Belarusian exports shows a pronounced advantage in the supply of food and agricultural products. Belarus is among the top 10 suppliers to China of potash fertilizers (3rd place), whey (5th place), meat products (chicken and beef (7th and 9th places), and rapeseed oil (11th place).
As of 1 August 2022, 162 Belarusian manufacturers are accredited for supplying their products to China. 63 enterprises produce dairy products, 18 supply frozen beef, 11 supply frozen chicken meat, 9 supply frozen berries, and 7 supply processed fish products. Over 20 manufacturers represent the confectionery, alcoholic, and other sectors of the food industry.
Based on the results of 2021, the volume of investments from China to Belarus amounted to $109.2 million (104.5% compared to the 2020 level), including direct investments of $74.8 million (137.6%). This year, a significant increase in investment activity is observed.
In 2021, over 50 investment projects were implemented in Belarus with the participation of Chinese companies (44 of them in "Great Stone"). The industrial park accounts for the main inflow of investments. A total of $753.7 million has been invested in the project by all participants. The share of budget investments is minimal, at 5%, or about $35.6 million. To improve the legal regulation and investment climate of the industrial park, a decree of the President was adopted on 11 June 2021, providing for the expansion of types of activities, support for startups, and the creation of preferential conditions for large investment projects. As of 10 August 2022, 93 residents from 15 countries are registered in "Great Stone", including 46 with Chinese capital. The total amount of declared investments is $1.25 billion. In 2022, 8 new residents were registered, 4 of which are with Chinese capital.
Cooperation with China is also actively developing in the credit and financial sphere. Through government loans from China under existing credit agreements, 25 projects have been implemented for a total amount of almost $4.73 billion, and four projects worth $2.26 billion are under implementation.
A number of projects in the field of technical and economic assistance are also being carried out. Three key areas of cooperation have been identified for the medium term up to 2025: the "National Football Stadium" and "International Standard Swimming Pool" projects; support for the development of the "Great Stone" industrial park; and assistance to stability and security.
Source: belta.by