What Do Chinese Really Need In Belarus?

China perceives us as the country of the third world, where it can buy natural resources.

Belarusian-Chinese relations are based on mutually respectful and equal basis, Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kabyakau stated that at the meeting with Deputy Chairman of the People's Republic of China Wáng Qíshān on Sunday, BelTA informs. The second person of China will have official visit in Minsk until May 29.

How much do words of the Belarusian Government about bilateral relations between countries meet the reality? Who is in favor now? Zautra.by writes about it.

Economist: Belarus needs neither China nor its investments

Real relationships cannot be equal, as we are 140 times smaller than China, head of the Strategy analytical centre Leanid Zaika believes.

- Our political elite exaggetares it, because it has not understanding what the country means, what political, geopolitical, geoeconomic limits and opportunities it has, the expert believes.

The economist points out that in case of equal opportunities Belarus could have invested $100 billion, for example, in the development of the Chinese electronic industry, but it's not real. A billion dollars are a huge sum for Belarusians.

According to Leanid Zaika, Wáng Qíshān has arrived to learn more about the joint project "Great Stone".

— The Chinese consider such projects as a platform for their nomenclature. Their children are adults now, some of them migrated to America, Japan. China is an overcrowded country, the economist recalls.

According to him, Belarus owns things valued by Chinese - forests, free territories.

- Belarus needs neither China nor its investments. The new round of development is the economy of intellect, human capital assets. In this regard, China is lagging behind us, Leanid Zaika asserts. - Focus on production of vehicles, mineral fertilizers is the matter of the past, a provincial point of view. We focus on universities, education, science.

At the same time, over the past 20 years Belarus has torpedoed its business and now it imports brushes, brooms, children's toys and plastic plates from China.

- For Belarusians China means a full-fledged shopping; we import onion, garlic, cabbage, clothes, shoes, that is, this country has become a large store for us. There are two countries of a key value for Belarus - Germany - the country of high-quality products and China - the country as a consumer store. China perceives us as the country of the third world, where it can buy natural resources, Leanid Zaika sums up.

Political scientist: The calculation is that Moscow will not risk hurting when we have such a great friend

Given economic capacities, the difference between Belarus and China is enormous, international analyst Andrei Fedorov believes.

- Last year the turnover was about $3 billion with the balance in favor of China's over two billion dollars, the expert underlines. - As for the policy line, the Chinese people are polite, they say beautiful words, but I strongly doubt that Chairman Xi Jinping calls our leader and asks his opinion before taking any decision on the U.S. embargo.

The political scientist believes that the Belarusian leadership keeps hoping that China will render us assistance. And it relates not to loans with low interest only.

- Our relations with Russia are not so good, that's why our authorities perhaps count on China to speak out its word not to let Moscow hurt us or that Moscow not to dare hurt us knowing that we have such a great friend, the interlocutor does not exclude.