BEIJING : Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a key Russian ally, in Beijing on Monday, state media said.

Xi hosted Lukashenko at the ornate Diaoyutai state guesthouse, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said, without immediately providing further detail.

Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, allowed Moscow to launch its 2022 Ukraine invasion through Belarus but has denied plans for direct involvement in the war.

Belarus, which borders NATO's eastern flank, hosts Russia's latest nuclear-capable missile, the Oreshnik.

China meanwhile has presented itself as a neutral party throughout the conflict, although Kyiv's allies have long accused Beijing of secretly helping Moscow.

Lukashenko last visited China in September 2025, when he attended a grand military parade in Beijing and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin.