At the invitation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping arrives in Minsk Wednesday to start an official visit to Belarus. Since China and Belarus established diplomatic ties on Jan. 2, 1992, bilateral friendly cooperation has grown steadily in various areas, with mutual political trust enhanced through frequent exchanges of high-level visits. In December 2005, Belarusian President Lukashenko paid an official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao. During the visit, the two leaders issued a joint statement pledging to promote bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in various fields. They also signed several documents on bilateral cooperation. In November 2007, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid an official visit to Belarus, during which the two leaders issued a joint communique pledging further efforts to promote bilateral cooperation. In August 2008, Hu met with Lukashenko in Beijing during the Olympic Games. The two leaders hailed the sincere friendship between the two countries and exchanged views and reached consensus on bilateral relations. By the end of 2008, China and Belarus have signed some 70 bilateral cooperation documents, covering political issues, economic and trade cooperation, science and technology, education, culture, military affairs and other fields. Close bilateral cooperation has ensured the steady growth in their two-way trade. 