China, Belarus agree to strengthen cooperation in trade, security

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Belarus have agreed to strengthen cooperation in a range of sectors including trade, security, energy and finance, according to a joint statement, after Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko in Minsk.

The statement released on Friday, a day after the Minsk meeting, said both countries would also strengthen cooperation in industrial supply chains and continue to enhance trade facilitation to reduce costs for both ends.

Belarus also intends to deepen cooperation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, a megalopolis which covers nine cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai, said the statement published by China's foreign ministry.

According to the China Daily, Belarus was among the first group of countries that responded to China's Belt and Road Initiative and Li said during his visit to Minsk that China-Belarus relations had remained vibrant for the past 32 years despite the changing international landscape.

China is the second-largest trading partner of Belarus and its largest trading partner in Asia, with bilateral trade exceeding $8.4 billion last year, said the China Daily.

Li arrived in Belarus on Thursday after wrapping up his first visit to Russia as Chinese premier.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Michael Perry)

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