Belarusian president to visit China for talks with Xi, SCO summit, military parade

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that he will travel to China later this month for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, alongside participation in major international events.

Lukashenko confirmed the upcoming visit on August 21 during a meeting on missile production in Minsk. He stressed that his discussions with Xi would also focus on Belarus-China cooperation in the defence sector, Caliber.Az reports via Belarusian media. 

“This is important in connection with my visit to the People's Republic of China and talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. We began and developed rocket construction in close cooperation with the Chinese military-industrial complex, and today we maintain close contacts,” Lukashenko said.

Xi Jinping earlier invited Lukashenko to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, scheduled for August 31 –September 1, as well as a large-scale military parade in Beijing on September 3.

The parade will mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. China’s armed forces are expected to showcase a wide range of military hardware, including hypersonic missiles, tanks, and unmanned systems.

Lukashenko last met Xi in June, when the Chinese leader extended the invitation.

By Sabina Mammadli