China to host Belarusian leader, raising concerns over Ukraine

A state visit next week by Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus comes as the United States accuses China of preparing to send a lethal aid to Russia.

As Ukrainian officials eagerly monitor developments in diplomatic overtures between Moscow and Beijing, China's top leader will host the President of the Belarus – a staunch Kremlin ally – with the pomp of a state visit next week.

On Saturday, China announced the visit, which will take place over three days from Tuesday, of President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, who authorized a year ago Russian forces to use his country as a base for their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The presence in Beijing of such a close partner of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin is likely to increase international attention and pressure on China's war straddle stance.

The announcement of the latest high-level official visitor from Beijing comes a week after the Biden administration accused China of considering sending lethal military assistance to Russia, a claim that officials Chinese have denied. If the Chinese were to send arms and ammunition to the Moscow formations in eastern Ukraine, the supplies would arrive at a time when both sides are short of much-needed artillery shells.

And after Beijing issued general principles on Friday to try to end the fighting in Ukraine, Western leaders expressed disappointment at the lack of more specific ideas in their proposal, or at all sign that Chinese leader Xi Jinping may be willing to distance himself from Mr. Putin.

Mr. Lukashenko's office said in a statement that his visit to China would be a chance to offer a "response to the acute challenges of the modern international environment".

ImageIn the town of Siversk, Ukraine, near the frontline on Monday.Credit...Tyler Hicks/The New York Times

In a phone call with Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Aleinik on Friday, his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang said Beijing wants to deepen ties between the two nations and find common ground. agreement on Russia's year-long war in Ukraine, according to a summary released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Mr. Qin noted that when they met last year, Mr Lukashenko and Mr Xi proclaimed an "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership" between their countries. Pakistan is the only other country to have pledged such an august level of official cooperation from China. internal affairs and illegal imposition of unilateral sanctions against Belarus,” which has been subject to extensive Western sanctions due to its support of Russia.

Yauheni Preiherman, the director of the Minsk Dialogue Council on International Relations, said in written responses to questions that "Minsk has long viewed China as a key foreign and economic policy partner and, therefore, has invested much time and political effort in deepening relations with Beijing".

"But under the current conditions of unprecedented Western sanctions against Belarus", a he added, "the importance of China for Minsk has increased further...