Beijing, 1 March 2023 (dpa/MIA) - China and Belarus want to further strengthen their relations, according to Chinese state and party leader Xi Jinping and Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting in Beijing.

The friendship between China and Belarus is "unbreakable," Xi said on Wednesday, according to Chinese state television.

China is willing to work with Belarus "to promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations at a high level," Xi reportedly added.

Lukashenko also spoke in favour of further cooperation, praising Xi's "strong leadership."

Observers are watching Lukashenko's visit to China closely for any sign that Beijing could change its stance on the war in Ukraine.

Russia is Belarus' closest ally, and Lukashenko allowed his country to be used by Russian troops as a staging ground for their invasion a year ago.

The visit by the authoritarian Belarusian leader comes a few days after China presented its proposals to stop the fighting in Ukraine.

The plan drew a sceptical response internationally as it did not reveal any new initiatives to end the conflict. It also did not demand a complete withdrawal of Russian troops - a prerequisite demanded by Kiev for any talks.

Beijing has not condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine, and Western leaders have recently warned China against supplying Russia with any weapons.

According to Chinese sources, Lukashenko backed Beijing's paper on Wednesday. He "fully supports" China's proposals, the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted him as saying.

Lukashenko himself is subject to a raft of sanctions that predate the Ukraine conflict.

He faces accusations of murder, torture and other serious crimes against humanity following a bloody crackdown on peaceful protests after elections in 2020. He is not recognized as president by the European Union.

Lukashenko also met with China's Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday to kick off his talks. During his visit, he hoped to expand economic cooperation with the second largest economy and attract investment from China.

Lukashenko has visited China several times before. This trip is set to last until Thursday.

Prior to the meeting, Belarus' state news agency Belta said the focus would be on trade, economy, investment and humanitarian cooperation, as well as a response to "the most acute international challenges of today."

Lukashenko told Chinese state news agency Xinhua that "we are already learning from China's new technologies, which are of interest to us. And this concerns all sectors, from the biotechnology to national defence."

According to Chinese figures, trade between the China and Belarus rose by 33% to $5 billion last year.

Xi and Lukashenko last met on the sidelines of the China-Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September.

Both sides see themselves as "comprehensive strategic partners." Belarus wants to join the organization and expects to be admitted this year.