Editor of High Language.

About to embark on his 16th trip to China after taking office as president, Belarusian President Lukashenko said that he is not "heading for China," but "heading for China." "I will visit China for the 16th time and head to China." He expressed his deep honor to join the SCO and full of expectations for the Tianjin Summit. "Joining the 'SCO family' is not only a joy, an honor, but also an inspiration to the people of Belarus."

Looking back on years of friendship, Lukashenko commented on President Xi Jinping. "President Xi Jinping is an outstanding leader and a leader respected by the world."

Recently, Belarusian President Lukashenko accepted an exclusive interview with CCTV at the Presidential Palace of Belarus. The full text is as follows:

Lukashenko receives central television interview

Zou Yun:Hello, President Lukashenko! Thank you for accepting the exclusive interview with China Central Radio and Television's "High-end Interview" again. We know that you have visited China 15 times during your presidency, and you will start your 16th visit to China at the end of this month. Is this intensive visit to China because you put China-Belarus relations in an extremely important position? At the same time, what expectations do you have for your upcoming visit to China?

Lukashenko:That's right. I have been to China many times, even before I became president.When I first visited the People's Republic of China, I was still a member of parliament. When I came back from China, I proposed to the Parliament that we should pay special attention to China's development path. To put it immodestly, what I said at the time was very prescient.I thought that China represents the future at the time. In terms of development, China is similar to our situation, so we should pay more attention to how China is developing. Since then, I have begun to draw on China¡¯s development experience, try to incorporate it into the development blueprint of Belarus, and present my ideas to the people of Belarus.Later, I also went to China often, with the purpose of understanding the direction of this development path that is most suitable for us.

In terms of technology, we hope for further cooperation between Belarus and China, and I am also very grateful to China. In fact, we are very grateful to China in all aspects. It is enough for us to take one step at a time like the China people and achieve good development. Today, China rarely relies on external help and has its own technology and talents. China has observed that the international situation is accelerating its evolution. China has been accelerating its development, not "accelerating" but "running."I am also trying to "run". I will visit China for the 16th time soon, and I will rush to China.Each of my visits to China has been fruitful, and Belarus-China relations have been raised to the highest level of cooperation. I understand China, feel China deeply, and attach great importance to cooperation with China.

Zou Yun:You just mentioned, Mr. President, not to China, but to China. In fact, the relationship between the two countries has been constantly running in recent years. For example, in September 2022, the positioning of bilateral relations was upgraded to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership. President Xi Jinping once said that the friendship between China and Belarus is unbreakable, and you once said that "when China is strong, Belarus is strong". Why would you describe the relationship between the two countries like this? At the same time, do you think that the bilateral relationship between China and Belarus can continue to move forward and achieve a historic leap? What is its foundation and support?

Lukashenko:I would like to tell our Belarusian people that China is fully committed to our high-level cooperation.When China says "all-weather comprehensive" cooperation and "generation-to-generation" cooperation, that is, "generation-to-generation" cooperation.We attach great importance to the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. There are no problems and no differences between us. If we need to coordinate our positions on a matter, make a common decision, get mutual support, just call Beijing to Minsk, or Minsk call Beijing, we will reach a consensus in a few minutes.We will never betray our relations, we will never betray our friendship with the Chinese people, with China, with my friend President Xi Jinping.None of the global problems in the world today can be solved without China's participation. So, if your China is strong, we will be stronger too, because we are closely connected.

Zou Yun:As you mentioned just now, you have deeply studied China and paid attention to it for many years. Especially when you visited China for the first time, you saw China's future and believed in China's development. Where did the confidence in China at that time come from? What are China's development modes, especially the modernization process, that have some enlightenment for you to govern the country?

Lukashenko:On all issues, in all areas, we are learning from China. It's not that I'm being polite to you and all the audience, we are indeed learning from you on all issues. About 30 years ago, when I first went to China, I said that China has a future. I took a car to a village and saw how Chinese farmers work. Just like we used to carry water with poles, they used poles to pick bricks, pick a bucket in the front and pick it in the back. Pick 5 to 6 pieces in the front and 5 to 6 pieces in the back, about 10 bricks. One brick is about 4 kilograms, and the raw bricks are 5 kilograms. Do the math, 40 kilograms in the front and 40 kilograms in the back. They are not tall, but they have a drive to create a better life with their own hands.At that time, looking at these hard-working farmers, I came to the conclusion that the Chinese people have the ability to build their country.

In every corner of the Belarusian city, such as on Victory Avenue, you can see the fence and flowers in the middle of our streets also in Chinese style, which I saw in China, and I think it is beautiful. Our people have to learn to do this, I have seen the construction of public facilities in Beijing. So, from urban construction to economic transformation and upgrading, such as the development of information technology, artificial intelligence and other fields, we study China¡¯s development and draw on China¡¯s experience.

In this way, from the point to the face, we learn the experience of China. China is a real friend, never hesitate to share the experience. There are some Chinese friends, some Belarusians who work in China, and some friends around me have talked to me about Chinese medicine, and I would be happy to try.President Xi Jinping also always gives me tea, and I will soon become a "Chinese" in Belarus.

Zou Yun:Do you like the China tea that President Xi sent you?

Lukashenko:Not only do I love Chinese tea, in our words, there is no Chinese tea who doesn¡¯t like it.

Zou Yun:Your son Nikolai has studied in China for several years. Has he shared with you any of his experiences in China? At the same time, what do you think are his greatest gains and growth from studying in China?

Lukashenko:You know, China is not a strange country to him, because he often went to China with me when he was about 4 years old. Therefore, studying in China is nothing new to him. But as an adult, it can be said that he can have a deeper understanding of Chinese society and see the cultural differences between the two countries. He said that China is strong, prosperous in all fields, and excellent in education.He¡¯s now learning Chinese, but I feel like he¡¯s a bit hard. One time President Xi Jinping said you shouldn¡¯t be afraid to learn Chinese.How can I be afraid when I listen?But when I see my children learn Chinese, I understand that when I look at your text it feels terribly complicated.But the most important thing to learn a language is not to be afraid.In the last 10 years, many young people have learned Chinese, and their Chinese level is good.

Zou Yun:You just shared with us your deep friendship with President Xi. Over the years, you have met and interacted with President Xi many times, and we noticed that today the Office of the President was particularly attentive to placing the gift that President Xi gave you in March 2023 - this painting from China - on the scene of our interview. In your eyes, Mr. President, what kind of leader is President Xi?

Lukashenko:Regarding my relationship with President Xi Jinping, I am very happy to work with such a leader who understands our culture. At the same time, the Belarusian people and I also have a certain understanding of the culture of the People's Republic of China. Our relationship is very good. President Xi Jinping has rich experience in governance and is good at judging the situation. It is precisely because of him that China has been able to achieve such rapid development in recent years.Your leader is excellent. I say this not only because he is my friend, but because he is indeed an outstanding leader, a leader respected by the world.Once a national leader earns everyone's respect, the country he represents also earns respect.

Lukashenko says he will ¡°go to China¡±

In July 2024, Belarus officially joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. From becoming a dialogue partner in 2009, an observer state in 2015, to becoming the 10th member of the SCO, Belarus has been on the road to joining the "SCO family" for 15 years.

by Zhao Rin£ºYou have said that joining the SCO is a wonderful gift for the people of Belarus. What does this gift mean for Belarus?

Lukashenko:Joining the SCO family is crucial for us. Joining the SCO family is not only a joy and a glory, but also an incentive for the people of the whole country ¨C so is it for any member country, including, of course, Belarus.The SCO is now an organization that no one can break and break down.Today the center of influence in the world is moving quietly and steadily to the SCO, and we are one of them.The answer to this question is good: It¡¯s good! I remember that 75% of our trade comes from SCO member countries. That¡¯s a very high proportion. The SCO is developing steadily and steadily, and maybe we should also learn the way the Chinese are developing steadily and confidently. We¡¯re like a large family, discussing issues and planning the future together.

by Zhao Rin£ºThis year is the ¡°China Year¡± of the SCO, and as a rotating chairmanship, China has said that the SCO should act as an actionist and act as an actor, send such a clear signal, and host more than 100 meetings and events within the framework.

Lukashenko:No matter from which angle, China, as one of the founding members of the SCO, is of great significance. China is indeed the "engine" of the development of the SCO, which is very good, and we are happy to see its success. China can promote the development of the SCO in all fields, from security cooperation, network security to logistics channel construction, and play a leading role in all fields. China is also committed to playing a leading role through practical actions and making a lot of pragmatic contributions to the SCO. Therefore, this year when China holds the rotating presidency is particularly important. We expect China to make more tangible contributions to the development of the SCO and inject new development impetus into the organization.

"Boulder" is Lukashenko's name for the China-Belarus Industrial Park

Headquarters reporter Zou Yun:When you saw this giant stone, you may have guessed that today we came to China-Belarus Industrial Park. President Lukashenko named the industrial park "Jushi", which means "the cornerstone of the friendship between the Chinese and Belarusian peoples".

Since its establishment in 2012, China-White Industrial Park has entered a new phase of high-quality development, attracting more than 150 enterprises from 15 countries, the highest percentage of which is R & D enterprises, with more than 30.

by Zhao Rin£ºSpeaking of the White Industrial Park in the ¡°Gigant Stone¡±, it has now become a model for the economic and trade development of the two countries. And over the past two days, we also interviewed the industrial park and saw you sign the presidential decree five times in the exhibition area, providing a lot of preferential policies for the development of the park, including many more detailed legal guarantees. How does the Belarusian government plan to further enhance the attractiveness of more enterprises ¨C whether from China, from Belarus and other countries ¨C to enter the park?

Lukashenko:We created the ¡°big stone¡± industrial park, and President Xi Jinping called it the pearl on the ¡°Belt and Road¡±, and he also attended the opening ceremony. A very important part of my life and work was the ¡°big stone¡± industrial park. So when building this park, I hoped to introduce all kinds of cutting-edge technologies. At the time, someone just wanted to build some ordinary warehouses, shipping Chinese goods to store, then moving to Europe or shipping European goods to China.I spoke directly to President Xi Jinping: ¡°President Xi, what I need is not just to build warehouses, the park must introduce high-tech enterprises.¡±President Xi supported my proposal. Today, the ¡°Gigantine¡± Industrial Park has become a gathering place for high-tech enterprises, with a total investment of $2 billion.

by Zhao Rin£ºWhat are your expectations for bilateral economic and trade cooperation in more emerging fields in the future?

Lukashenko:This park is not only for Chinese technology, but also open to all interested parties. At present, 15 countries have invested and built factories here. China agrees with this and is open to it. German companies want to come, welcome! American companies want to come, welcome! Russian and Belarusian enterprises can also settle in. To invest, build factories and develop, we will provide preferential policies. We have jointly built a good platform with , which not only helps to extend the "the belt and road initiative" cooperation to Europe, but also promotes Belarus-China cooperation. This has promoted China's development, and we have benefited a lot.

Lukashenko to visit China for 16th time

by Zhao Rin£ºDuring this visit to China, you will also attend the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3. We know that 10 years ago, you have participated in commemorative activities related to the 70th anniversary. So what are you looking forward to attending again this time?

Lukashenko:I hope to witness the achievements of China¡¯s national defense construction over the last 10 years and the progress of China¡¯s national defense development over the past 10 years.When I attended your parade that year, I saw the latest equipment in China at that time.After observing these, I came to the conclusion that China has the ability to defend its own country. I very much look forward to witnessing the results of your country and your people in this military parade.

by Zhao Rin£ºIn fact, China and Belarus had similar experiences during World War II. In 2015, during President Xi Jinping's visit to Belarus, he made a special trip to meet with representatives of Belarusian World War II veterans and awarded them commemorative medals. What do you think is the significance of remembering history, especially promoting a correct historical view of World War II, for today's world?

Lukashenko:Both of us have made great sacrifices. For the Chinese people, those difficult years are no less cruel than we have experienced. Japanese militarists have carried out holocaust and brutally slaughtered civilians. We must never let such a historical tragedy repeat. The Chinese nation is a nation that keeps history in mind. Honestly, we need to learn from you how to preserve these memories and protect them like the Chinese. Belarus has achieved success in this regard, and our thousands of monuments are not desolate. We remember everything that happened here.As long as history is remembered, tragedy will never happen again. If forgotten, disaster will surely come back. Therefore, together with the Chinese people and China, we guard this sacred memory of victory.This is indeed a victory of great significance for global development. Otherwise, the trajectory of the world development will be completely changed, and we will take a completely different path and follow completely different standards. But it is everyone's joint protection of peace that enables China, China and other countries to live in the existing order and achieve maximum development.

To this end, I thank the Chinese side for inviting our country's delegation, not only to the SCO summit, but also to a major event to commemorate the great victory - this grand event to commemorate the victory of the Second World War, especially the victory over Japanese militarism.

Lukashenko talks about the Ukrainian crisis

by Zhao Rin£ºI would like to discuss with you the issue of the Ukrainian crisis. Because on August 15, U.S. President Trump and Russian President Putin met in Alaska, U.S., and you spoke to President Trump and President Putin on August 15 and August 17, respectively. So after this meeting and a series of communications, has your judgment about the situation in Ukraine now changed?

Lukashenko:We are closer than ever to ending this conflict and bringing Russia and Ukraine to peace.Trump listened to the position of one party to the conflict, asked President Putin many questions and received answers, thereby understanding Russia's demands. I believe that the direction of the situation will soon become clear, and I am absolutely sure of this. The future depends largely on Ukraine's perception of the actual situation. What is needed now is time and calm, at least a ceasefire and air strikes first.

by Zhao Rin£ºThe Ukraine crisis has also raised the question of how to build a more balanced, effective, and sustainable European security architecture. Mr. President, what do you think is the key to achieving long-term stability in Europe?

Lukashenko:Security is indivisible, and all European nations should maintain it as a common goal. All nations, from Belarus, Russia to the UK, Germany, should play their respective roles in this security system. The heads of state should have gathered together to discuss the current situation carefully. The most important thing is security and a security agreement. If the agreement is breached, the parties will respond. Therefore, the current agreement must be resumed, and the future development of the situation will depend on us ¨C depending on the political choices of all nations in the European continent and even the wider region.

by Zhao Rin£ºAt the end of today¡¯s interview, I would also like to ask you a question. You were born in a village in northern Belarus called Copes, when you were young as a soldier, a landowner of state farms, and at the age of 36 became the Supreme Soviet People¡¯s Representative of Belarus and later elected President. In fact, you faced a lot of difficult decisions in the course of your ruling career, such as over 30 years ago, when you did not choose to introduce ¡°shock therapy¡± in Belarus, but chose a path of more gradual development. At the same time, now that the world stands at the crossroads of a century of great change, you must constantly make a lot of strategic considerations for the country¡¯s politics, economy, diplomacy, etc., some policy choices. What is the most important principle you adhere to

Lukashenko:After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, my country's economy fell into trouble because the original cooperation system was very extensive. We have obtained parts, accessories, resources, etc. from Russia, Ukraine and other republics and the Baltic Sea coastal regions, and on this basis we manufacture finished products and sell them to markets within the Soviet Union and overseas. This rupture of the industrial chain has caused great trauma to us. We need to make every effort to preserve the industrial system, which is the starting point of our country's policy. If we had blindly fallen to the West at that time and had not focused on development like China, the country would have fallen apart and the economic system would no longer exist. We would have fallen into endless color revolutions like some post-Soviet countries. This is tantamount to succumbing to the West.Looking back on the past, I often wonder why the people dared to choose someone as inexperienced as me to lead the country. This trust has always been in my heart and has become the greatest motivation for me to perform my duties.Belarus should develop as China should, with steady and tolerant development, and reject radical initiatives.I have said to develop gradually.As China, be prudent, comprehensively assess the situation, and quietly lead the country and society towards a proper future.

by Zhao Rin£ºPresident Lukashenko, thank you very much for accepting our exclusive interview during your busy schedule today and sharing your insights with us. I also sincerely wish you a smooth trip to China. Thank you!

Lukashenko:Thank you! Thank you for interviewing me, and thank you guys for coming!