Lukashenko on Xi Jinping and his role in China's transformation

MINSK, 28 February (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko spoke about his attitude to President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping and his role in the development of the country as he gave an interview to Chinese media, BelTA has learned.

"I've been to China many times. I will be happy to visit China once again soon and meet with the leadership of the People's Republic of China, primarily with my old friend Xi Jinping [the state visit of the Belarusian president to China is scheduled for 28 February - 2 March],” the Belarusian leader said. In his opinion, Xi Jinping is very smart, wise, creative, modern, and the Chinese people made the right decision by electing him for another term as the leader of the PRC.

China's development under the leadership of Xi Jinping (and especially his ideas about the need for global peace) will ensure the further normal development of the entire planet, Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced.

"I had the honor to work with Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao. I knew these leaders. They were worthy sons of the Chinese people," the president said. “They did everything to strengthen China, to set it on the path towards a great power. They were very cautious, careful. They recognized the United States of America as the only power in the world, a global leader. Xi Jinping is different. Xi Jinping has done a lot to make China what it is. China has become great. This is the greatest achievement of Xi Jinping. He did not reject the ideas of Mao Zendong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, or Hu Jintao. He adopted all the best from them and introduced something new (this is his distinctive feature, he is a new type of leader), created a powerful foundation for the development of the Chinese society and the state, on which you actually built a new China. This is the greatest accomplishment of Xi Jinping, and the Chinese people will later appreciate it," the head of state said.

Moreover, Xi Jinping managed to change the character of the Chinese people, who are known for their calmness and deliberateness. "He gave acceleration. He understood that life changed, that speeds were enormous and that if you did not accelerate but sit quietly waiting for something, you could be late. That was the intuitive feeling of Xi Jinping that the slow measured way of doing things inherent in the Chinese people needed changing. It's worth a lot. Things needed to speed up. He felt it and he is leading the Chinese people very quickly along this road. We are ready to go along and be of help in this," the president assured.

"I think that in the next five years, China will become the leading power in the world. Today China knows who wants to contain it, to bring it to a standstill. This is impossible," Aleksandr Lukashenko continued. "No one can contain China today, or stop it."