14.11.2018

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People's Republic of China were established on January 20, 1992. The development of relations with China is a strategic direction of the foreign policy of the Republic of Belarus.

The dynamic development of the Belarusian-Chinese political and trade-economic relations is primarily due to the common principles of domestic and foreign policy, the coincidence of views on the most important issues of the world agenda. The parties implement the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Development Program for 2014-2018, adopted in January 2014. Directive of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 5 “On the development of bilateral relations of the Republic of Belarus with the People’s Republic of China” has been implemented since August 2015, which has prioritized the development of a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. In September 2016, the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, signed in May 2015, entered into force.

Belarus pays special attention to the “Belt and Road Initiative”, mentioned by the PRC Chairman Xi Jinping in 2013. The Belarusian side helps to promote this project in every way. The proof is the Chinese-Belarusian industrial park “The Great Stone” as an economic logistics structure that actively promotes the interests of the PRC in the EU countries. China is the seventh major investor in the Belarusian economy. Over the past five years, China has overtaken the United States of America, the Baltic countries and Italy and entered the top ten countries that invest the most money in Belarus.

At the end of 2017, the volume of investments from China to the Republic of Belarus amounted to $ 275.5 million (for the previous year - $ 257.8 million), including direct investment - $ 113.6 million (for 2016 - 100, 4 million dollars). Over the past 12 years, over $ 2 billion in investments have been attracted to our country's economy from China, including 780 million in direct ones.

The largest direct investors from China to Belarus in 2017:

«Midea» with a plant for the production of household appliances,

«Geely» with a plant for the production of passenger cars,

«Weichai» with a plant for the production of diesel engines,

«Zoomlion» with the production of utility vehicles and a lot others.

CITIC HIC Kaicheng Intelligence Equipment Co. Ltd. have plans to implement a project for the production of specialized robots used in fire fighting, in the mining industry, during underwater operations, etc. More than 30 large infrastructure and investment projects in the field of transport, energy, and industry are being implemented in the amount of more than $ 8 billion with financial support from Chinese banks in Belarus. Exim Bank of China is a leader in financing joint Belarusian-Chinese projects in Belarus among Chinese financial institutions (28 loan agreements worth about $ 5 billion). Relations between financial institutions of Belarus and the Development Bank of China are actively developing (7 loan agreements worth more than $ 3 billion).

For the first time such a huge exhibition of the world import was organized.

The important events of the global business environment - China International Import Expo came to an end on November 10. The event was held from 5 to 10 November 2018 and took place in the world's largest exhibition complex. The total building area of ​​the exhibition center was about 1.5 million sq. m. The exhibition was organized by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the People’s Government of Shanghai. The exhibition was held with support of the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The National exposition of the Republic of Belarus was organized by Center for Marketing.

The Belarusian expositions at the China International Import Expo were presented in two thematic blocks:

The first block is a zone with stands of countries, which provides for the possibility of presenting the trade, economic, investment, historical and cultural potential of the participating countries. The Republic of Belarus was provided with 160 sq. m. of exhibition space.

The second block occupied 500 sq.m. of exhibition area - a zone of enterprises and businesses, which in turn was divided into two sub-topics: trade in goods and trade in services.

The Belarusian exposition includes the Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park “The Great Stone”, the National Agency for Investment and Privatization (NAIP), the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Industry, the Belarusian Potash Company, Belkommunmash, the State Committee on Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education. The official delegation of Belarus includes ministers of economy, industry, agriculture and food, as well as representatives of other ministries and departments of the country. The representative of NAIP conducted daily presentations about the investment climate, business conditions, promising sites and projects for investment in the Republic of Belarus during the work of the National exposition.

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 Also, a lot of Belarusian products were presented on a Belarusian stand such as Confectionery factory «Kommunarka», Baking and Confectionery factory «Minskhlebprom» and Minsk Dairy Factory No. 1. In addition to the products of the leading food industry enterprises from Minsk, the exhibition included information materials about Government agency «Administration for Consumer and Hotel Services for the Population of the Minsk Executive Committee», the Hotel «Europe» and «Minotel», Government Enterprise «Akva-Minsk» and Travel company «Bealrusky sputnik». Representatives of the Tourist center “Minsk” and “Mingorspravka” told about the travel potential of Minsk. Enterprises from more than 100 countries and regions took part in the China International Import Expo - 2018. The number of potential partners reached 150,000 people.

Investments as the key to long-term partnership

The Belarusian delegation took part in the Belarusian-Chinese business forum during the visit to China. Sections of the forum were devoted to the export and innovative potential of Belarus, the country's investment climate, as well as the attractiveness of tourist, educational and medical services in Belarus. The Deputy Minister of Economy Dmitry Matusevich presented the economic and investment potential of Belarus in the section “Investments as the key to a long-term partnership,” moderated by the Deputy Director of NAIP Denis Meleshkin.

Belarusian as well as Chines speakers discussed many interesting and exciting topics during the forum. 

The participants clarified why the Industrial Park is an unprecedented mode for investing on the Silk Road from the report of Alexander Yaroshenko, the head of the Industrial Park “The Great Stone” (GS),. Vasily Dementey, director of the “Bremino Group”, presented the special economic zone “Bremino-Orsha” as a logistic and production hub and gates to the EEU countries. Our Chinese partners are Hu Zheng (member of the Board of Directors of China Merchants Group, General Representative of China Merchants Group in Central Asia and the Baltic Region, Executive Director of the China-Belarus Joint Industrial Company Development Company) and Li Haixin (Director General of the Chinese-Belarusian Joint Industrial Company Development Company Closed Joint-Stock Company) presented reports on the topics: «The best practices of the PRC in creating special economic zones abroad on the example of Belarus» and «Construction of infrastructure and preparation of the space on the area of Industrial Park «Great Stone». 

Investment projects with Chinese investments that were successfully implemented on the territory of the Republic of Belarus were presented for confirmation of successful investment relations between Belarus and China:

1. The Belarusian-Chinese enterprise «Geely» have reached the 4th place in sales in the market of Belarus just for the year.

2. The «Midea-Horizont» company increased the production volumes of microwave ovens almost in 10 times over the year.

More than 15 contracts, memoranda and agreements were signed over the few days of the exhibition. Total budget of signed contracts is more than ten millions of dollars. One of the illustrative examples of successful cooperation was the signed memoranda about trade and economic cooperation between the Chinese-Belarusian industrial park “The Great Stone” and the Pilot Zone of Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation “China – SCO”. In addition, an agreement was signed on the establishment of the Chengdu European Industrial Sub Park on the territory of the “Great Stone”.

On November 7, the Eurasian Seminar about Trade in Services was held during the China International Import Expo. Deputy Director of NAIP Denis Meleshkin took part in the seminar with the presentation.

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«The increase in the export of Belarusian goods to China is fixed in Belarus at the legislative level. It is planned to increase exports by 64% to 2020 and reach $ 770 million. I would also like to note our success in investment cooperation. In 2017 China’s share in the total investment in Belarus increased by more than 2.5 times compared with 2013. Belarus has a lot to offer to our Chinese partners to ensure the implementation of mutually beneficial joint projects. We greet Chinese companies in the share capital of Belarusian enterprises. Also we are ready to develop cooperation in the fields of industry, woodworking, biotechnology, fine chemicals, logistics, agriculture, tourism, healthcare and etc.,» - Denis Meleshkin noted in his speach.

This event is one of the important events of the exhibition. The seminar participants were given the opportunity to face with the trade and investment climate of our country, the prospects for cooperation between Belarus and Chinese companies.

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The First "China International Import Expo-2018" provided a unique opportunity to strength and expand contacts between Belarus and China. Participation in the exhibition will allow Belarusian enterprises to significantly expand the geography of exports and saturate the consumer market in China, as well as the markets of Central and South Asia with domestic goods and services.

Based on:

 wx.plusx.cn / The Industrial park "Great Stone"BELTA.