Largest-ever Chinese business team to visit Bangladesh
Staff Reporter :
In a significant development aimed at deepening bilateral trade and investment ties, more than 100 Chinese companies are scheduled to visit Bangladesh to explore potential investment opportunities. The delegation will be led by Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, marking what is expected to be the largest business delegation ever to visit the country.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, announced the forthcoming visit on Wednesday at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while inaugurating the first official batch of mango exports from Bangladesh to China.
“I am delighted to share that in just two days, Wang Wentao, China’s Minister of Commerce, will arrive in Bangladesh on next Saturday with a delegation comprising over 100 Chinese companies. My Bangladeshi colleagues have informed me that this will be the largest business delegation in the country’s history,” Ambassador Yao stated.
He added that the visit would serve as a crucial platform for business communities from both nations to explore avenues of cooperation, drive tangible outcomes in economic and trade relations, and further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between China and Bangladesh.
Commenting on the potential impact of the Chief Adviser’s recent visit to China, Commerce Adviser Bashir Uddin noted that investment decisions take time. “Following the Chief Adviser’s visit to China, the Chinese Commerce Minister will arrive in Dhaka this Saturday with a substantial investment delegation. They will remain for two days to assess investment opportunities, collect relevant data, and hold discussions with the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) before making any formal commitments,” he explained.
Bashir Uddin also confirmed that several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed during the visit. These agreements aim to reduce the bilateral trade deficit and expand commercial ties between the two nations.
“We are facilitating direct engagement between Bangladeshi and Chinese businesses. Key sectors have been identified as the foundation for these MoUs,” he said.
While the precise volume of prospective Chinese investments has yet to be determined, the Commerce Adviser expressed optimism about the visit’s outcomes. “The Chinese Commerce Minister is a very senior official, and his arrival with such a high-level delegation is highly significant. We are hopeful that this visit will yield meaningful results,” he added.
The visit is widely viewed as a follow-up to recent diplomatic and economic engagements between the two countries and underscores growing Chinese interest in Bangladesh as an emerging investment destination in South Asia.