Beijing, 26 June (H.S.): Chinese Premier Li Qiang has said that China is ready to work with Bangladesh to further strengthen strategic mutual trust, expand practical cooperation and deliver greater benefits to the people of both countries. He expressed confidence that the long-standing friendship between the two nations would continue to deepen and that bilateral relations would reach new heights.
According to China's state-run news agency Xinhua, Li Qiang made the remarks during talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Beijing on Thursday. He said China and Bangladesh are not only close neighbours but also traditional friends with a long history of cooperation. Li reaffirmed China's support for Bangladesh in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and expressed full support for the country's new government.
The Chinese Premier said Beijing is committed to strengthening its role as Bangladesh's good neighbour and trusted friend. He added that both countries would deepen strategic mutual trust and inject fresh momentum into practical cooperation so that the bilateral partnership delivers greater benefits to their people.
Li said China remains committed to advancing high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He announced that China would increase imports of high-quality products from Bangladesh while encouraging capable Chinese enterprises to invest in the country. He also called for expanding cooperation in new energy, the digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), information and communication technology, and other emerging sectors.
The Chinese Premier further said that both countries would strengthen coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms. He noted that their partnership would play an important role in safeguarding shared interests, promoting solidarity and self-reliance among developing countries, and contributing to the common development of the Global South.
During the meeting, Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said strengthening relations with China is one of the key priorities of his government's foreign policy. He reiterated Bangladesh's firm commitment to the One-China principle and expressed clear opposition to any attempts to promote Taiwan independence.
Rahman thanked China for its long-standing support for Bangladesh's economic and social development. He said his government is keen to maintain high-level exchanges with China, enhance coordination of development strategies, and broaden cooperation in trade, investment and other priority sectors.
He also said Bangladesh supports the post-World War II international order, as well as the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and the four major global initiatives proposed by China. Rahman reaffirmed Bangladesh's commitment to continuing cooperation with China on multilateral platforms and working together to address global challenges.
The talks between the two leaders are being viewed as a significant step toward giving fresh momentum to China-Bangladesh relations. The discussions placed particular emphasis on strengthening cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure development, technology and multilateral engagement.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
