Photo courtesy of the Council of the Republic
MINSK, 29 May (BelTA) – Innovation should be at the core of Belarus-China cooperation, Vice President of the People's Republic of China Han Zheng said as he met with Chair of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Natalya Kochanova in Beijing, BelTA has learned.
According to Han Zheng, China is interested in expanding business contacts with Belarus. “We have appreciable achievements in bilateral cooperation. Last year, our trade exceeded $8 billion. We are interested in Belarus' active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, of which the China-Belarus Industrial Park Great Stone is a key element. Today this park has more than 130 resident companies. We will jointly facilitate efforts to coordinate and sign an agreement on trade in services and investment in order to ensure uninterrupted supplies of potash fertilizers and high-quality agricultural products,” noted Han Zheng. “Our bilateral cooperation should focus on innovation and explore new avenues of joint work, which might include new energy sources, transnational e-commerce and digital economy. During the Year of Science, Technology and Innovation in 2024 and 2025, it is necessary to tap into new points of growth in order to give an additional impetus to mutually beneficial cooperation,” the vice president added.
China is also interested in deepening cultural and humanitarian ties with Belarus. “We need to expand long-standing friendly contacts, involve all groups of the public in this work. It is necessary to make the most of interaction mechanisms that were established by government agencies and such platforms as cultural centers and the Confucius Institute. The two countries should also intensify dialogue in the field of education, culture, tourism, women’s and youth affairs,” said Han Zheng. “We are ready to help build new sister-city ties between the territorial entities of our countries. We know that parliamentarians represent different regions and spheres of life in Belarus; we could take advantage of this to bring the peoples of China and Belarus closer.”
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