Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu plans to visit Russia and Belarus this week.
This is reported with reference to the press service of the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
It is noted that Li Shangfu will arrive at the invitation of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin.
The Chinese Defense Minister will reportedly take part in the Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) on August 15, where he will deliver a speech and meet with leaders of the defense ministries of Russia and other countries.
He will also visit Belarus from August 14 to 19, where he will meet with the country's leaders and the chiefs of the Belarusian army. In particular, he will visit several local military units.
It is worth noting that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, China has taken an ostensibly neutral position on the war. It has neither condemned nor supported Russia, but has stepped up its trade with it.
At the same time, China unveiled a so-called "peace plan" for the war in Ukraine, but it was criticized in Ukraine, Europe, and the United States.
Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 14/08/2023