Chinese president hails Belarus as a 'true friend'

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jingping, in Beijing on Wednesday.

Xi praised sanctions-hit Belarus as a true friend of China and urged the Russian ally to join Beijing in opposing "hegemony and bullying".

He also congratulated the Belarusian leader on his re-election saying the two countries were “good partners”.

Lukashenko’s three-day visit is his first since he was declared winner of January’s widely criticised poll, extending his 31-year rule of the former Soviet republic.

He said both Belarus and China are facing a pressure campaign from the West.

"You have very correctly noted the main feature of the current time - unprecedented pressure from the West on us, first of all on the People's Republic of China,” he said.

Lukashenko added that the “eyes of many states” were turned to Beijing as it “will not allow the world order to be broken”.

Belarus’ economy has been battered by Western sanctions and trade tariffs because of its backing of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Minsk has counted on Beijing as a provider of credit and investment and is also turning to China for help transforming and upgrading its industries.