Bilateral meeting between Bangladesh PM, her Chinese counterpart starts

A bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang started at the Great Hall of the People this morning.

The meeting began at 11:10am and is scheduled to last for 45 minutes.

Earlier, Bangladesh prime minister was accorded a red carpet reception as she reached the Great Hall of the People ahead of the a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Li Qiang.

On her arrival at the premises of the Great Hall of the People, the prime minister was received by the Chinese premier.

The bilateral talks will mainly feature the Rohingya issue, business, trade and commerce, investments, bilateral relations alongside various regional and international matters.

Following the meeting, Bangladesh and China are likely to sign 20 to 22 instruments.

“The instruments on cooperation in the economic and banking sector, trade and investment, digital economy, infrastructure development, assistance in disaster management, construction of 6th and 9th Bangladesh-China friendship bridges, export of agricultural products from Bangladesh and people to people connectivity are likely to be signed,” Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said on Sunday at a press conference at the foreign ministry.

During the visit, Hasan said inauguration of a number of projects of the two countries will also be announced.

The Bangladesh prime minister will end her three-day bilateral trip to China by holding a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 4pm local time today.

The meeting is scheduled to last for 40 minutes.

In her meetings with Xi Jinping and Li Qiang, the entire gamut of the bilateral relations alongside the regional and international matters will come for discussions.

The issues like Rohingya, cooperation on business, trade, commerce and development will dominate the discussions.

The premier had her last discussions with President of China Xi Jinping in a recent meeting on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The landmark visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh in 2016 has elevated bilateral relations to the level of “Strategic Partnership of Cooperation”.

This is the prime minister’s fourth visit to China (2010, 2014, 2019, and 2024).

The visit is believed to elevate the relations between Bangladesh and China to “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” from “strategic partnership”.

The two countries would celebrate the golden jubilee of diplomatic relations next year.

This visit of the Bangladesh premier to China has taken place within 15 days after her last visit to India from 21-22 June.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman visited China twice, in 1952 and 1957.

He met with great leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou En Lai.

Following his visit, he wrote a book titled “Amar Dekha Naya Chin,” (The New China as I Saw) reflecting his admiration for the Chinese leadership and their policies.