Xi Jinping says China ready to expand Belt and Road cooperation with Bangladesh during meeting with Tarique Rahman
Beijing, June 26
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said that the country is ready to expand Beijing's flagship Belt and Road cooperation with Bangladesh during his meeting with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman here.
According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, Xi said China supports Bangladesh's new government in its smooth administration following the election in February after a period of political instability in the country and is willing to work with Bangladesh to advance "high-quality" Belt and Road cooperation.
He added that Beijing is ready to jointly map out key areas of cooperation and tap into opportunities in green and low-carbon development, the digital economy, information technology, artificial intelligence and other emerging sectors, as reported by Xinhua.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by China in 2013 by President Xi, is a major global infrastructure and economic development programme aimed at enhancing connectivity across Asia, Africa and Europe through investments in railways, ports, highways and energy projects, drawing inspiration from the ancient Silk Road to promote trade.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, in a series of posts on X, said that the two leaders also jointly announced the decision to build a "China-Bangladesh community with a shared future in the new era", elevating bilateral relations to a higher level.
Mao said Xi stressed that China has consistently attached great importance to the development of relations with Bangladesh and has adhered to a policy of good-neighbourliness and friendship towards the Bangladeshi people.
"No matter how the world changes, China will not waver in its commitment to the general direction of building friendship with Bangladesh and will always be a trustworthy, good friend, good neighbour, and good partner of Bangladesh," Mao quoted Xi as saying.
Xi also reaffirmed China's support for Bangladesh in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, while opposing foreign interference, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
"China supports Bangladesh in upholding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and rejecting foreign interference," the post added.
Rahman is currently on a four-day official visit to Beijing at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang as part of his second leg of his maiden overseas visit after assuming office. Prior to his visit to China, the Bangladesh Prime Minister was in Malaysia.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an Indian, I can't help but feel a bit uneasy about China deepening ties with Bangladesh. The whole "community with a shared future" rhetoric sounds nice, but we've seen how these partnerships can lead to debt traps. Hope Bangladesh negotiates carefully and keeps its sovereignty intact. 🤔
Good for Bangladesh! They need infrastructure development and job creation. China's BRI might have its critics, but it's delivering real projects in many countries. India should focus on improving its own competitiveness rather than just complaining about Chinese influence. Just my two paise. 😊
Xi's statement about "opposing foreign interference" is quite ironic coming from China, given their stance on Tibet and Xinjiang. But from a purely economic standpoint, Bangladesh needs investment and China is offering it. India needs to offer better alternatives to our neighbors, not just lecture them. 🇮🇳💪
The green and low-carbon development + AI focus is clever. China is positioning itself as a partner for the future, not just building roads and bridges. India should take note and collaborate more on these emerging tech areas with our neighbors instead of watching from the sidelines. Time to wake up!
Sad to see another South Asian country getting cozy with China while India's own neighborhood policy seems inconsistent. Yes, we have the Act East policy, but ground-level implementation is lacking. Bangladesh-China friendship is understandable given India's own posture sometimes. We need to do better, plain and simple. 😔
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