Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is leaving for China’s capital Beijing on a four-day official visit on Monday at the invitation of Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China.
During the visit from 8 to 11 PM, the Prime Minister will meet the President of China, the Premier of the State Council, the Chairman of the National Committee of CPPCC and the President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Besides, there is a possibility of signing 20 to 22 MoUs. Besides, some development projects will be discussed.Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser, State Minister for Commerce, State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources, State Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Foreign Secretary, other secretaries and other related high-level government officials will accompany the Prime Minister.
Minister of Foreign Affairs at the press conference to unveil the curtain of the Prime Minister’s visit to China at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday afternoon. Hasan Mahmud informed this information.
In response to a question whether budget assistance will be taken from China or not, the minister said that not budget assistance but a proposal for cooperation with China in the trade and economic sector equivalent to five billion dollars is being discussed.
In response to the question whether Bangladesh will offer offshore banking to China or not, the minister said that offshore banking is open for all. Any country can deposit money in our central bank if it wants. For example, many countries can keep money in the central bank of the United States. But offshore banking is a slightly different matter.
An agreement was reached with China regarding the development of Mongla port, the Minister said in response to the question whether China will be given the responsibility of implementing this project, we are in discussions with China regarding the development of Mongla port. I hope the matter will be discussed in this visit.
Asked about the trade balance between the two countries, the foreign minister said that we have trade relations with China. The more we import from the country, the less we export. We have plans to increase the export of our products.
Giving details of the visit, the Foreign Minister said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will leave Bangladesh on a special flight of Bangladesh Biman at 11 am on Monday and will land at Beijing International Airport at 6 pm local time on the same day. The Prime Minister will be accorded a proper welcome with a guard of honour.
On Tuesday morning, the Prime Minister will pay a courtesy call on Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun. After that he will participate in the conference titled ‘Summit on Trade, Business and Investment Opportunities between Bangladesh and China’ held at Shangri-La Circle. A business delegation from Bangladesh will attend the conference.
The Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Wang Huning, Chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at noon on that day and pay his respects at the traditional Tiananmen Square in the afternoon. At night, he will attend a dinner hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing.On the third day of his visit on July 10, the Prime Minister will attend a reception in his honor at the Great Hall of the People, where he will meet Premier of the State Council Li Qiang and hold bilateral meetings with high-level delegations from the two countries. After that, about 20 to 22 memorandums of understanding are to be signed in the presence of the heads of government of the two countries and some projects are to be announced.
Dr. with the memorandum of understanding. Hasan said, MoUs on economic and banking sectors, trade and investment, digital economy, infrastructure development, disaster management, construction of 6th and 9th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge, export of agricultural products from Bangladesh, disaster management, people to people connectivity etc. Signature is likely.All these formalities will be completed at the banquet organized in the Great Hall in honor of the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday afternoon, July 10. Bangladesh and China will make a joint statement on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s visit.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to leave China on a special Bangladesh Biman flight on July 11 and land in Dhaka at 2 pm.
Regarding the relations between the two countries, the foreign minister said in the press conference that Bangladesh-China bilateral relations started even before independence with the historic visit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to China in 1952. At that time, the Father of the Nation met the then leader of China, Mao Zedong. In the light of that experience, Bangabandhu wrote the book ‘Amar Deha Nayachin’. China recognized Bangladesh in 1975, following which the two countries progressed on the path of development based on mutual cooperation.
During Xi Jinping’s visit to Dhaka in 2016, the relationship between the two countries was elevated to a strategic cooperation partnership. After winning the 12th National Parliament election held on January 7 and being re-elected as Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina was officially invited by China for an official visit. China is committed to working as an important partner in Bangladesh’s infrastructural and economic development.
The foreign minister also said that Bangladesh would seek China’s assistance in terms of investment and trade in Bangladesh, financial assistance and repatriation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. At the same time, Bangladesh will provide support to China as a friend of China in the global context. We are hopeful that the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to China will be successful and fruitful.