Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko offered a personal glimpse into his family's ties with China, spotlighting his son Nikolai’s years of study and cultural immersion.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Lukashenko praised China’s “excellent” education system and shared heartfelt anecdotes about Nikolai’s journey to master the Chinese language, a journey that began when he was just four years old, accompanying his father on frequent visits to China.
Nikolai Lukashenko studied in China for several years. He has joined his father on multiple visits to China, including a military parade in Beijing in 2015.
"China was never unfamiliar to him. From the age of about four, he often traveled to China with me. So for him, studying in China was not something entirely new. But as an adult, he was able to look more deeply into the Chinese society and appreciate the cultural differences between our two countries. He told me that China is strong and prosperous across all fields. China's education system is excellent," said the Belarusian president.
"He is now learning Chinese, though I can see that it is difficult for him. President Xi once said that when learning Chinese, one should not be afraid. At first, I thought, why would anyone be afraid? But when I watched my son learning, I understood. Just look at Chinese characters, they can seem daunting in their complexity. Still, the key to learning a language is not to be intimidated. In the past decade, many young people have started learning Chinese, and their command of the Chinese language is quite good," said Lukashenko.
Belarusian president praises China's education system, reflects on son’s cultural journey
Canada is gearing up for its role as one of the co-host countries of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but local residents in Vancouver have mixed feelings about the event, with many voicing concerns over costs, crowds, and whether the city has the necessary infrastructure in place to cope with the global football spectacle.
The tournament kicks off on Thursday and will run through July 19. It is set for its biggest ever edition, with a record number of 48 teams participating and games taking place across three countries for the first time.
Canada is one of the co-hosts alongside the U.S. and Mexico, with seven matches set to be staged in Vancouver. The city, which previously hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, has once again entered "major event mode."
The iconic BC Place stadium will be the venue for the upcoming matches and is now surrounded by World Cup decorations, while the nearby Science World, another distinctive city landmark, has been transformed into a giant replica of the official World Cup match ball.
Despite the festive atmosphere around the city, local residents are grappling with a mix of excitement and unease about the challenges ahead.
"Generally speaking, I think Vancouverites welcome the excitement of the games and of FIFA. But some people are worried about the typical things of big events. Big events bring lots of noise and crowds and commotion," said a local resident.
Financial concerns are also at the forefront of public debate, with some questioning the extortionate costs associated with running the event and also drawing attention to the steep prices of match-day tickets.
"But there's a lot of cost. Who's really going to benefit? I mean, the [expensive] ticket prices. I mean, who's gonna go?" another resident said.
Infrastructure readiness remains another point of contention, with doubts over whether Vancouver can handle the massive influx of visitors.
"I don't know about the infrastructure we have here. I'm a little bit worried about that and [about the] transportation and what the city is going to look like," said another resident.
Behind the scenes, the financial commitment to hosting the tournament has grown significantly. According to the latest financial updates from the provincial government in British Columbia, the total budget for World Cup preparations has risen to 729 million Canadian dollars due to security and infrastructure upgrades. This averages out to more than 100 million Canadian dollars per match.
Despite the heavy investment and potential short-term disruptions, local government and tourism officials remain confident that the long-term returns will be substantial long after the last ball is kicked.
Maya Lange, vice president of global marketing at Destination British Columbia, highlighted the projected economic windfall for the region.
"Just for British Columbia and Vancouver alone, we are projecting a billion [dollars] in incremental revenue from hosting the World Cup for tourism, for the five years following these games," she said.
The first match at the BC Place lands on Sunday as Australia plays Türkiye, but all eyes will be on the Vancouver venue later this month when home favorite Canada takes on Qatar and then Switzerland in its final two group stage fixtures at the stadium.
Vancouver readies for World Cup kick-off amid mixed public sentiment, soaring costs
