by Elena Valeryevna Rodovskaya
First Vice President of Belarusian Association of Journalists,
Political Commentator, Journalist, Publicist of Minsk News Agency, Belarus
Belarus is a showcase of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This is the most western country of the organization, a real bridge between two civilizational approaches. However, the state clearly follows the national path of the “common destiny of mankind.” These words were set out in Beijing’s concept of future development.
There are two paths of freedom, which are so different that Belarusians choose the Asian path. Europe is building a society under the rules of tolerance; in essence, it is a world in which the few rule the majority. The minority, by creating conditions and laws, dictates unpopular idea for everyone. Wether it’s in politics, or in economics, or in freedom of conscience. Mutual respect is an Eastern slogan. Where equality is not justice, and every thought can be expressed, however, if it does not pose a danger to the balance. This is precisely the Belarusian world, which has many points of contact with the Chinese, rather than with the Anglo-Saxon one.
Well, if we proceed from philosophy, then it becomes globally clear why the Chinese city was built near Minsk. It’s quite a geographical object with its own infrastructure and geography, and even toponymy. With quite a name in the spirit of the same philosophy – Great Stone Park. These park is an industrial park, a global cooperation project, and if an ignorant Belarusian after looking at the sign in English has the opinion that the name is not ours, then I will disappoint him. Velikiy Kamen (Great Stone) is a former village in the Smolevichi region, and a park is open in its place.
Its meaning is a reference point in the new Great Silk Road, China’s global economic, political and sociocultural project. This is mutual respect that implies complementarity. The manager of one of the Belarusian factories explained us the meaning of simple cooperation with China within the framework of this project. If the Western liberal goal is to buy out enterprises here and, at best, repurpose the territory for offices, or, at worst, completely kill a competitor, then the Chinese ideology is to create new plants and factories by competing only in the market. Great Kamen is that particular production which is a part of preferential tax zone in Belarus, attracts Belarusian personnel, and in addition to all, it will become a trade hub for the promotion of Chinese goods to the European Union. Belarus, with its terms of trade and still with the same mentality, understandable national legislation, is a special and clear partner. Any nonsense from outside will be regarded by Chinese partners as an encroachment on their investments. After all, if in August 20, 2020 the rioters had managed to take power in Minsk, then all agreements between China and Belarus would have been under threat. Our countries are not interested in starting any conflict in the region. On the one hand, due to mental reasons, both we and the Chinese lost millions of dead in the last world war. As Alexander Lukashenko stated, “Belarusians have run out the limit on wars.” China really needs, in the present and in the future, clear and permanent power in Belarus. Any businessman will tell you that a partner who knows his future is much better than one who lives just for the moment.
You know, when fighters of People’s Liberation Army of China appeared at the training grounds in Belarus, it did not become a sensation within Belarus. An all-weather partner, China now has a special status in many sectors of the country. And for sure, in an era of global geopolitical changes, military interaction is a significant part of bilateral cooperation. This is what Senior Colonel Liu Zhen, deputy chief of staff of the corps, said: “China and Belarus have a time-tested friendship. And through joint training we increase our mutual understanding. The anti-terrorist, practical, and tactical ability to act together is especially important today.” And this is entirely consistent with the spirit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Let me remind you that Belarus became a full member of the organization on July, 4th. However, despite such changes, Belarusian-Chinese military exercises caused some confusion in the Western press. From headlines like: “Chinese military appeared in Europe” to “Dictatorship called communist China for help.” However, even without making many agreements public, in the wise way of the East, the interaction of our countries proceeds along several tracks of integration at once until mutual cooperation. Largely spoiled by vague slogans about an ideal Europe, citizens of Belarus are beginning to understand the geopolitical situation in the world differently now. The Stronghold of Eurasia, and therefore of Chinese, Russian, Eurasian civilization, turned out to be not alien to Belarusians, also became popular in business and science. Let me remind you again the very recent official visit to Belarus of a Peking University delegation led by Party Committee Secretary Hao Ping. When the same idea about the philosophical, identical concept of the world order of the Belarusians and the Chinese was voiced at the highest level.
The Eurocentricity of the world, which was imposed over the past centuries and based on colonial plunder on the part of the European metropolises, is now essentially reduced to nothing. Starting the era of the “Tigers of Southeast Asia” in the early 90s received a major scale. Many experts say that Chinese economy is strongest in the world, however, compared to the former leader of the United States, the new global player has a lot of differences and contradictions. At a minimum, it is not to conquer the market, but to come to an agreement. Do not destroy national interests, but use their peculiarities for mutual benefit. For this reason, China is becoming one of the centers of the multipolar world, but with an ideology that is absolutely similar and understandable for Belarus – the common destiny of humanity.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.