【Text by Observer Net, Zhang Jingjuan】After Poland closed the border crossings with Belarus, the China-Europe railway freight, which carries 90% of the Central European railway freight, has been paralyzed.

According to a statement from the website of the President of Belarus, on September 22 local time, Belarusian President Lukashenko held talks with a senior Chinese official to discuss the issue. Lukashenko believes that Poland's recent actions are unfriendly to China and a political move, but he is confident that "China can easily cope with this issue."

This month on the 12th, due to the joint strategic exercise "West-2025," Poland immediately closed all border crossings between Poland and Belarus. Although the military exercise ended on the 16th, Poland's Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, announced at a press conference that all border crossings between Poland and Belarus (including roads and railways) would remain closed indefinitely until "the safety of Polish citizens is fully guaranteed."

This decision directly cut off an important land transport route for Chinese goods entering the EU via Russia-Belarus-Poland. According to estimates by the European Railway Freight Association, currently 85%-90% of China-Europe train routes enter the EU through Poland. This means that approximately 300 trains carrying electronic products, automotive parts, photovoltaic components, and other goods are stranded in Belarus, and the comprehensive cost of the supply chain has increased by more than 15%.

In the meeting, Lukashenko stated that this matter is unrelated to Belarus, and Poland is actually "acting on behalf of the interests of other countries." He said, "There have been many implications in the media recently regarding your visit to Belarus, concerning our relationship with Poland and the issue of the closure of the border between Belarus and Poland. I understand that this is likely an unfriendly act by the Poles, a political action."

Despite this, Lukashenko believes that "a major power like China can easily cope with the challenges posed by the closure of the border," but he admits that this issue is being widely discussed and expressed willingness to provide more relevant data and information to China after the meeting.

Lukashenko, President of Belarus

Facing the complex regional situation, Lukashenko once again reiterated Belarus's firm support for China: "At the moment when China needs us most, you can always rely on us. In the heart of Europe, you have the most reliable and sincere friend."

In the meeting, Lukashenko highly evaluated the global governance initiative recently proposed by China, saying, "We are pleased to support this initiative because it completely aligns with our policies. This global initiative is based on fairness and equality. It is an urgent initiative, which is why I was the first to support it at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting."

Notably, during the disruption of the China-Europe train routes, the fourth plenary session of the China-Poland Governmental Committee for Cooperation was held in Warsaw on the 15th, co-chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sikorski.

The two sides exchanged views on the importance of developing an efficient and economically competitive Eurasian transportation corridor and Poland's key role in it. Both sides recognized the benefits of providing mutual beneficial services in railway, maritime, and air freight, as well as strengthening existing and potential transport lines and logistics chains, and were willing to jointly ensure the safety and smooth operation of the China-Europe train routes.

Previously, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized at a regular press conference that the China-Europe train is a flagship project of China-Poland and China-EU cooperation, which is in line with the common interests of both sides. The hope is that Poland will take effective measures to ensure the safe and smooth passage of the train and maintain the stability of the international industrial and supply chain.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7553110045497328168/

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