Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko started a three-day visit to Beijing on Feb. 28.
“Today, no one can contain China or stop its development,” Lukashenko told China’s state news agency Xinhua before his visit. “Today, not a single issue in the world can be resolved without China.”
Lukashenko is expected to hold discussions with Chinese officials in Beijing at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The visit comes amid concerns over the potential provision of lethal aid to Russia by China, as well as a 12-point “peace proposal” that detailed Beijing’s stance on achieving a “political settlement” to resolve Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Belarus is a co-belligerent in Russia’s war, having served as a launching pad for Russian attacks on Ukraine. In September, Minsk and Beijing agreed to upgrade their “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership” amid the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan, where Russian President Vladimir Putin was also present.
In an interview with ABC News, Biden dismissed China’s peace plan, noting that it would likely only work in Russia’s favor.