Bangladesh and China on Sunday discussed launching a State Minister-level Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue alongside an early Foreign Minister-level Strategic Dialogue as the two countries seek to further deepen their strategic partnership.
The issue was discussed when Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir at the foreign ministry in Dhaka, according to a ministry press release.
During the meeting, Kobir described China as a “trusted friend and valued strategic partner” of Bangladesh and reaffirmed Dhaka’s commitment to the One-China Principle.
He expressed satisfaction over the renewed momentum in bilateral relations and the elevation of the ties to a “China-Bangladesh Community with a Shared Future” following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to China.
The two sides discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including cooperation on the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration and the early launch of the Foreign Minister-level Strategic Dialogue.
They also discussed beginning the State Minister-level Diplomacy and Defence Dialogue, initiating the process for exporting Bangladeshi jackfruit and guava to China, the China-Bangladesh-Myanmar Economic Corridor and cooperation on the Rohingya issue.
The ambassador congratulated Kobir on assuming office and sought his support to further advance the long-standing and close relationship between the two countries.
He also conveyed felicitations from China’s executive deputy foreign minister to the state minister.
The Chinese envoy briefed Kobir on progress regarding outcomes of the prime minister’s recent China visit, including the groundbreaking of the China Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) and the signing of a commercial contract for modernisation of Mongla Port.
Possible cooperation on establishing a Mongla Export Processing Zone (EPZ) also featured in the discussion.
Yao said the CEIZ is expected to attract around 30 Chinese companies with approximately $500 million in investment, potentially creating an estimated 100,000 jobs for Bangladeshis.
The ambassador also briefed the state minister on upcoming high-level exchanges and visits, including planned visits to Bangladesh by the vice president of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), the minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), and the executive vice governor of Yunnan Province.
Yao also invited Kobir to visit China in October this year.
