UPDATE 2 - China opposes external interference in Belarus: Xi tells Lukashenko

UPDATES WITH COMMENTS BY XI, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, INTRO

By Riyaz ul Khaliq and Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) – China's President Xi Jinping on Monday told visiting Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko that Beijing "opposes external interference" in Belarus’ internal affairs of the landlocked Eastern Europe nation.

Lukashenko, who arrived in China a day earlier, met Xi in Beijing for official talks.

"China supports Belarus in following a development path suited to its own national conditions, and opposes external interference in Belarus’ internal affairs," Xi told Lukashenko

***“We’re ready to continue to strengthen strategic coordination with Belarus, firmly support each other and further deepen China-Belarus relations,” Xi said, according to China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

In his remarks, Lukashenko told Xi: "Belarus was, is and will be a reliable partner for China. I think no one in China needs to be convinced of this. All this has happened before my eyes over the past 30 years," according to his office.

It is Lukashenko's second trip to China this year. Earlier, he visited China between Feb. 28 and March 2.

The statement by the Belarusian presidency cited Lukashenko as saying that his previous visit to China set the dynamics for the whole year, indicating that more than 120 mutual visits have been organized by the two countries.

"These are different visits. And what pleases me most are the visits that are related to production, trade and economic relations," Lukashenko further said.

He also said that they found no issues on the part of Belarus with regards to the development of bilateral ties during a government meeting ahead of his visit to China, adding that the only issue he wanted to discuss with Xi is speed.

"Time is so compressed. And this compression does not depend on us. It is so compressed that sometimes we fall behind and don't have time. This is not only China, Belarus ... This happens everywhere in the world. And the one who comes first to his goal will be at the top," he said.

Talking about the Belt and Road Initiative, Lukashenko said that Xi set a single goal for everyone through the project "unlike Western countries, which are trying to cut everything into pieces."

The Belt and Road Initiative, billed as recreating the ancient Silk Road to boost global trade infrastructure, was proposed by Xi in 2013 to connect China with the markets of Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.