Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko looks to ‘ironclad friend’ China for support

‘Europe’s last dictator’ seeks to strengthen ties with Beijing amid mounting pressure from the West over the EU refugee crisis and claims of election fraud

But some Chinese observers warn that getting too close to Minsk could be more trouble than it’s worth – and even risks upsetting Russia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) greets his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in Shanghai in 2018. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:00am, 19 Dec 2021Updated: 11:24am, 19 Dec 2021

Under mounting pressure from Western sanctions, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has turned to his “ironclad friend” China for support.

While Beijing has welcomed Minsk’s overtures, some diplomatic observers have warned that China should be cautious about getting too close.

Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and is often described as “Europe’s last dictator”, signed a presidential order on December 3, saying the country wanted to strengthen ties with China in areas such as politics, security and economics – including the Belt and Road Initiative.

The order came a day after fresh sanctions were imposed by the United States, European Union, Britain and Canada over the migrant crisis on the EU’s borders with Belarus, which Lukashenko has been accused of orchestrating.

The Belarusian leader had already faced pressure from the West over allegations he rigged last year’s election and the subsequent crackdown on anti-government protesters and opposition politicians.

China, which signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with Belarus in 2013, has offered support to Lukashenko. President Xi Jinping congratulated him over the 2020 election, while earlier this month, Chinese ambassador Xie Xiaoyong welcomed a directive on improving relations.

Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi also told his Belarusian counterpart Vladimir Makei that China was ready to take ties to a higher-level in a meeting in which both countries hailed their “ironclad friendship”.