PM Hasina is set to visit China on July 8-11

TDS Desk:

Beijing remains a friend being Bangladesh’s neighbour and a partner for the country’s modernization drive as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to visit China on July 8-11.

“Bangladesh to us is a perfect, friendly and firm partner,” Liu Jianchao, visiting China Communist Party’s minister of international relations, said after his meeting with Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the Hotel Intercontinental on Monday.

His visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Beijing.

The foreign minister said the visit would take place from July 8-11.

India-China ties in focus as PM Hasina flies to Delhi FridayIndia-China ties in focus as PM Hasina flies to Delhi Friday

“China is a development partner of us. We are expecting important development during the visit. We are looking forward to it,” Hasan Mahmud, who is also the joint secretary of ruling Awami League, said.

“We are very much looking forward to the visit by the honourable prime minister to China in about two weeks time,” the Chinese leader said.

“We do have a lot of respect and I’m sure that our two governments and government agencies will work out a general plan for the cooperation between our two countries in the time to come,” he said.

“You’re working with Bangladesh in your drive for prosperity, for example, the Vision 2041 and also your goal of achieving a smart Bangladesh. We do appreciate that.

“And China has been working very hard for our modernization drive. So, we do believe that we have a lot to work on, and China and Bangladesh can work in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, investment and manufacturing, and also trade, of course,” he said.

“So, we will do it within the framework of the president’s initiative for belt and road, and also we’ll continue to do that for the common prosperity in Asia, in our region,” he said.

“So, I think that the forthcoming visit by the prime minister is going to be a very fruitful one.”

The Chinese leader also said that Bangladesh and China have very identical views on most of the regional and international issues.

“And also, we stress on the interactions and context and communications between the political parties in our two countries,” he said.

“We do believe that the government policies very often originate from party lines. So, we believe that the kind of interactions between the political parties are very useful in helping our people to understand better with each other and also in helping the governments to formulate the reasonable and correct policies towards each other.”

Some 50-member delegation of the ruling Awami League and its affiliate bodies visited China recently.

Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said that delegation comprised the junior members of the party.

“Another delegation of senior members at the presidium member level will visit soon.”

The Chinese leader said: “Such interactions are important and this is a process of mutual learning.”

“We do want to know your experiences, and of course, China Communist Party is also ready to share our experiences with you for the common good of our people.”

He also acknowledged that Rohingya issue is very hard and difficult.

“It’s becoming more difficult in the future. And China will continue to play a role in pursuing a solution to this problem by working with different parties related to this issue,” he said.