Poland’s border closure with Belarus targets China, Łukašenka tells Chinese official

September 22, Pozirk. Alaksandar Łukašenka has slammed Poland’s closure of its border with Belarus as an unfriendly move towards China during his meeting in Minsk with Li Xi, a high-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
“I realize that this is most likely an unfriendly move by the Poles, a political one against the People’s Republic of China or perhaps [a move designed] to boost their image, as the Poles believe,” his press office quoted him as saying. “But it is by no means an economic move because an empire like China will easily cope with this problem.”
“Poland is acting like a show horse for the benefit of other countries,” Łukašenka added.
Warsaw closed the border with Belarus, including railway crossings, on September 12 in connection with the Belarusian-Russian exercise Zapad-2025 from September 12 to 16. The border will remain closed until further notice due to concerns over the safety of Polish citizens, the Polish interior ministry noted after the drill was over.
Warsaw does not benefit from the border closure but prioritizes security over trade benefits, Polish foreign ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński said following Polish-Chinese talks three days after the closure.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maksim Ryžankoŭ criticized Poland’s decision, claiming it targeted China, which accounts for nearly three-quarters of the cargo transit across the Belarusian-Polish border.
The already strained relations between Minsk and Warsaw have deteriorated this month after the arrest of Polish national Grzegorz Gaweł in Lepel, Viciebsk region, the expulsion of a Belarusian diplomat from Poland and a spike in tension between Poland and Russia following an unprecedented incursion of military drones into Poland.
High-profile Chinese politician to meet with Belarus leaderhsip
- Politics, SportBelarusian, Russian figure skaters barred from World ChampionshipsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsCrackdown on Belarusian publishers reported in MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Society, Sport
- Society
- Society
- PoliticsPolitically motivated convictions reported in Minsk, HrodnaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityBelarus says it downs drones as Kyiv accuses Minsk of aiding Russian attacksThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsMinsk to negotiate visa free travel to Saudi Arabia for officialsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, PoliticsBelarus holds 496 Lithuanian trucks, 575 semi-trailers - LINAVAThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy, Security, SocietyThree men jailed in Lithuania for smuggling cigarettes from BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsKGB adds eight to list of terroristsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyVacancies for foreigners rise by nearly 17 percent in Belarus over a monthThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Security, SocietyLithuania turns nine African migrants back to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityConscription-age men given 24 hours to report for military trainingThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsFaction Biełarusy quits Coordination CouncilThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOpposition leader urges OSCE PA to establish working group on BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsEU Delegation welcomes Statkievič’s release, urges Minsk to free all jailed dissidentsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics



