Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Beijing on June 29 for a formal meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit occurred immediately following a high-level summit between Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the latter’s residence in Valdai, Russia, according to the Belarusian presidential press office.
During the more than three-hour meeting at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse, Xi characterized the China-Belarus relationship as being at a “historic peak,” referring to the two nations as “iron friends.” Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Nikolai Snopkov stated that the talks focused on political, economic, and industrial cooperation, with Lukashenko specifically proposing strengthened investment ties.
The diplomatic sequence follows mounting international scrutiny regarding Belarus’s role in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. While Lukashenko facilitated the use of Belarusian territory for the 2022 invasion, recent tensions have centered on military infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently demanded the removal of specific communications equipment in Belarus, which Kyiv alleged supported Russian drone operations. Zelensky reported on June 24 that the equipment had ceased operation, though he warned that new military infrastructure along the border appears to be nearing completion.
Lukashenko confirmed his itinerary to the press, noting, “I flew here from Moscow Oblast. We held talks with President Putin, and afterwards I departed for Beijing.” No official statements were released regarding the substance of the Valdai meeting with the Russian leader, but the back-to-back summits underscore the complex geopolitical positioning of Minsk between Moscow and Beijing.