The Yellow River flows swiftly, and guests gather en masse. On July 1, the China-Belarus Forum on Local Cooperation was held in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. Over 300 representatives from various sectors of both China and Belarus participated in the forum, which was themed “Uniting Local Forces for Prosperous Development.” The forum achieved fruitful results. Seven provinces and cities, including Gansu and Shandong, signed 43 cooperation agreements with partners from five states and one city, namely the China-Belarus Industrial Park and the Grodno Region, covering investments, economics and trade, science and technology, and education and training.
China and Belarus are full-spectrum strategic partners and key partners in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. Since 1992, when the first pair of sister cities was established between Changchun, China, and Minsk, the capital of Belarus, the number of sister cities between China and Belarus has grown to 54. China has maintained its position as Belarus’s second-largest trading partner and the largest source of investment in Asia. The enterprises located in the China-Belarus Industrial Park have reached 178, making it a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The friendly exchanges between Gansu Province and the Province of Grodno serve as a vivid example of cooperation between China and Belarus at the local level. In 2007, Gansu Province established a friendly provincial-level relationship with the Province of Grodno. Five cities—Baiyin, Longnan, Qingyang, Wuwei, and Dunhuang—formed sister city relationships with relevant cities in the province. Gansu’s vegetable seeds and machinery products were shipped to Belarus, while Belarusian dairy products and beef were also served on the tables of the people of Longyuan.
Yuri Karayev, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Grodno Region, stated, “China is our major trading partner, and we believe there are opportunities for further cooperation. We are located at a crossroads of major European routes, which creates favorable conditions for cooperation between the two sides in the field of transportation and logistics.”
As an important node on the Belt and Road Initiative, Shaanxi and Belarus have a long history of friendly exchanges. Cooperation between the two sides in areas such as equipment manufacturing, agricultural product trade, and new materials has continued to deepen. “We look forward to establishing a new platform for innovative cooperation, further deepening the tripartite collaboration between universities, research institutions, and enterprises, promoting the application of cutting-edge technologies, and empowering industrial upgrading and high-quality economic development in both regions through scientific and technological innovation,” said Sun Ke, Vice Chairman of the Shaanxi Provincial People’s Political Consultative Conference.
The forum featured three parallel sub-forums on economics and trade, culture and tourism, and education. Representatives from the governments, enterprises, and universities of both China and Belarus took turns to present resources, showcase projects, and engage in in-depth discussions.
On June 25, Gansu launched the first dedicated freight train for transporting petrochemical products from Belarus to Europe. Zhang Tieqiang, Chairman of the Gansu International Logistics Group Co., Ltd., stated, “Gansu is situated at the golden corridor of Eurasia, possessing comprehensive logistics, ports, trade, and industrial resources. We look forward to deepening exchanges with Belarusian enterprises and bringing about tangible, sustainable physical cooperation projects.”
Cultural tourism serves as a bridge for the exchange of civilizations and a conduit for the connection of peoples’ hearts. By 2025, China had risen to become Belarus’s second-largest source of inbound tourists, with a 151% increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous year. “Behind this breakthrough lies the mutual visa-exemption agreement implemented between the two countries in 2018, the new direct flight routes connecting Minsk, Beijing, Xi’an, Sanya, and Urumqi, and the sincere desire of both sides to gain a deeper understanding of each other and engage in friendly exchanges,” stated Anastasia Shemshenko, Deputy Director of the Belarusian State Tourism Administration.
According to Alexander Yevseev, Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, Minsk is a globally renowned tourist destination, with 85 hotels and lodging facilities throughout the city. Of these, 30 have been operating according to the standards of the “China Friendly” system, making them well-prepared to welcome Chinese tourists.
Cooperation in the field of education has also been noteworthy. “Through our partnership with Northeastern University, we have established the Confucius Institute for Science and Technology, which has educated over 11,000 Belarusian students, with more than 100 of them having gone to China for further study.” Yuri Nikolayevichk, Vice President of the Belarusian State Technical University, explained that the university collaborates with Chinese universities to cultivate high-quality talent, particularly in engineering fields, to produce applied professionals that society truly needs.
Du Ying, a consultant for the Government of Gansu Province and a researcher at the Institute for Science and Technology Development Strategy of Gansu Province, believes: “Gansu and Belarus have highly complementary strengths and closely aligned needs. In the future, we can continue to make sustained efforts and focus on making breakthroughs in the deep integration of education, science, production, and talent. This will comprehensively promote bilateral cooperation towards a new phase of strategic industrial and technological integration, and jointly create a model of high-level regional openness and high-quality cooperation between China and Belarus.” (Outlook New Era)
Edit：Zeng Mengqi Responsible editor：Li Yi
Source：Gmw.cn
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