US disliked Chinese Defence Minister’s visit to Belarus, why

Among the significant events last week there was the one which was undoubtedly in the centre of world attention and caused a chain reaction in the West: Belarus was visited by China’s Defence Minister, whom President Aleksandr Lukashenko called the most media person in the world, the STV channel reports

Indeed, no sooner had Li Shangfu came into the Palace of Independence in Minsk than Washington already reacted, declaring that ‘the provision of military assistance will have serious consequences for China’.

For obvious reasons, there are few details of the negotiations. It is known that the two countries are actively co-operating in the field of ammunition production. Belarus’ Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin also said that the distinguished guest visited Osipovichi: ‘the capital of artillery’. In turn, Li Shangfu briefly noted that his task was to fulfil the agreements in the military sphere reached during the meeting of the Belarusian and Chinese leaders in early 2023.

An important detail is that US personal sanctions were imposed against the top military official from Beijing for buying Su-35 and S-400 from Russia. Moreover, this May, China refused a similar meeting to Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defence. The meeting took place in June instead, but – as the Chinese side noted – ‘it was not possible to hold a substantive exchange of views’ during it. The fact that Li Shangfu visited small Belarus and at the same time refused to contact Americans is a great diplomatic gesture, which is important in itself. Of course, there was also a military component to the visit.

Prior to his appointment as Defence Minister, Li Shangfu headed the Directorate of Troop Training and Supply of the Central Military Council of China, so he is an expert in the issues of procurement and production of ammunition equipment. With this in view, it is understandable why the United States is so nervous. As regards Belarus, China has the highest level of relations – all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership – with the republic. This means that the Chinese-Belarusian relationship does not depend on international fluctuations.

Belarus experienced different periods of relations with the West, and they were not always accompanied by sanctions and blockade, but even then the country did not fulfil the US demands to break off relations with Beijing. The President of Belarus once shed light on why Pompeo and Bolton had visited Minsk. China appreciated it and now supports Belarusians.