'It Verges On Sensation': China's Pressure On Belarusian Regime Surpres Media Sources

Poland shows a good example for other nations.

Poland forced China to pressure Lukashenka to limit the number of migrants at the border. Can Germany follow the example of Poland and show more courage in its relations with Beijing?

“It verges on sensation. (…) Poland exerts pressure on China and succeeds. This is an amazing lesson for the German government. Berlin usually postpones threats to China, fearing retaliation from Beijing,” writes Christoph von Marschal for Tagesspiegel.

“Is Poland acting bolder than Germany? Or does it has the best pressure tools?” the author asks.

According to Christoph von Marschal, the authorities in Warsaw have a long-standing problem with their eastern neighbor, Belarus. Lukashenka sends migrants from the Middle East to the border with Poland to destabilize the European Union.

In June, Polish President Andrzej Duda discussed the situation on the border with Chinese President Xi Jinping and asked him to use his influence on Lukashenka. Otherwise, Poland will be forced to completely close the border with Belarus, Christoph von Marschal writes, referring to the words of Łukasz Wojdyga, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the Warsaw Enterprise Institute (WEI).

Since then, the number of illegal immigrants on the Polish-Belarusian border has "significantly decreased".

China needs an open trade route through Belarus for exports to the EU. Rail transport through Russia and Belarus is the fastest – it takes 26 days. Alternative routes are longer and more expensive.

The threat to close the border proved effective even against a world power like China, von Marshall writes. A German journalist cites the opinion of Wojdyga that Poland wants to use its influence to achieve the release of political prisoners, including the leader of the Polish diaspora Andrzej Poczobut.

"Can Poland's position become a model for Germany?" – asks the author.

Analyst Kai Olaf Lang from the Foundation for Political Science and Politics (SWP) believes that the actions of the Polish authorities can serve as an example.

“Poland is effectively using one of its few advantages vis-à-vis Belarus as well as vis-à-vis China,” Lang said. He added that it is useful for Poland to take a critical stance towards China, but to maintain channels of communication with Beijing at the highest level, including presidents.

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