China promises stronger ties with BD
Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh and China have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, infrastructure, health, education, and cultural exchange.
The assurance came during a courtesy meeting between Foreign Secretary Ambassador Md Jashim Uddin and Director General of the Bureau of Southeast and South Asian Affairs, International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Peng Xiubin held on Sunday at the Foreign Ministry.
Director General Peng Xiubin lauded the warm and friendly attitude of the people of Bangladesh towards China and said that China and the Communist Party of China would be with the people of Bangladesh to fulfill their dreams and expectations in pursuit of economic development and growth.
Highlighting the outcomes of the recent visit of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser to China Dr Muhammad Yunus and discussions with President Xi Jinping, Peng described Bangladesh as an “important partner and trusted friend.”
Peng said that China will work to strengthen bilateral trade, continue to support the infrastructural development and enhance cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
He reiterated China’s strong support to Bangladesh as a close-door neighbor and development partner as part of its neighborhood diplomacy.
He added that the contact between the political parties of two countries is an important pillar of Bangladesh-China relationship and the CPC looks forward to expanding these exchanges to think tanks and academia.
Foreign Secretary reiterated Bangladesh’s firm support to One China Principle and expressed satisfaction on the successful visits of the Chief Adviser and the Foreign Affairs Adviser to China and having fruitful interactions with their counterparts, which have enhanced cooperation in a number of areas including trade, investment, health and educational sectors. Foreign Secretary thanked the Government of China for offering special medical treatment facilities for Bangladeshi patients in Kunming.
While expressing satisfaction at the ease of visa, Foreign Secretary underlined that the affordable airfare on Dhaka- Kunming flights would further encourage Bangladeshi patients to receive treatment in China.
He also requested the Chinese Government to increase scholarships to Bangladeshi students by Chinese Universities. He said that the upcoming visit of over 100-member Chinese business delegation to be led by the Commerce Minister of China manifests strong economic ties between two countries.
Rohingya issue was also discussed at the meeting. Foreign Secretary thanked the Chinese government for its continued support in this regard and thanked the Director General of IDCPC for visiting Bangladesh.
The Rohingyas, a persecuted ethnic minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, fled mass violence and military crackdowns in 2017.