China and Belarus deepen regional cooperation
China and Belarus deepen regional cooperation. On Wednesday, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, speaking via video link at a forum on cooperation between countries of the Southern Hemisphere in Gansu Province, said that regional‑level cooperation is an important component of China‑Belarus relations. When two countries, separated by thousands of kilometres, find common ground not only at the level of capitals but also at the level of provinces and regions, more than diplomacy is born — a fabric of mutual trust is born. China and Belarus have long moved from formal contacts to genuine partnership, where each region finds its niche and its contribution to the common cause.
Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, noted that in recent years the two countries have seen increasingly active regional exchanges, a growing number of sister cities, expanding areas of cooperation and fruitful results. Noting that China and Belarus share largely overlapping development strategies and well‑matched cooperation needs, Liu said that high‑quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has opened up new development opportunities for both countries and created a broad platform for regional‑level cooperation.
Liu put forward three proposals. First, both sides should take industrial integration as a driving force, making full use of industrial parks to create new growth drivers for cooperation. Second, both sides should take people‑to‑people and cultural exchanges as a link to strengthen cooperation in education, healthcare, culture, tourism, youth affairs and other areas. Third, Liu called on both sides to strengthen coordination mechanisms, activate the China‑Belarus Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and encourage deeper cooperation between Chinese provinces and Belarusian regions. First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Nikolai Snopkov attended the opening ceremony in person and delivered a speech.
China and Belarus established diplomatic relations in 1992. In 2023, the relationship was elevated to an all‑weather comprehensive strategic partnership. The "Great Stone" industrial park near Minsk has become a flagship project of Belt and Road cooperation. Regional cooperation covers more than 20 Chinese provinces and all regions of Belarus. The forum in Gansu Province marked another step in deepening regional ties. The personal presence of Belarus's First Deputy Prime Minister underscores the high‑level attention given to this area of cooperation.
When not only national leaders meet, but also provincial governors, mayors and factory directors, real economy is born. China and Belarus are an example of how geographical distance does not prevent building a shared future. Liu Guozhong's three proposals — industrial integration, cultural exchanges and strengthening mechanisms — are not just agenda items. They are a roadmap along which the regions of both countries have already begun to move. And when Belarus's Deputy Prime Minister travels to Gansu to speak about cooperation, he confirms the main point: trust is built not in offices, but on the ground — where people work and projects are implemented.
As reported by CCTV+, the forum served as an important platform for strengthening mutual understanding and finding new points of contact between the regions of the two countries.
