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Strings of co-op deals during Chinese premier's visit

UNB, Dhaka
Dhaka and Beijing are ready to strike a number of cooperation deals as Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao makes a state visit to Bangladesh tomorrow.
"It's a very significant and milestone visit on many counts...And we feel confident that the Chinese premier's visit will be a great success and will turn over a new leaf in our bilateral relations," Foreign Secretary Hemayetuddin told reporters yesterday.
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will have
in-dept discussion on various issues and bilateral cooperation covering economy, trade, investment, agriculture, education and cultural affairs.
Hemayet said a positive outcome is also expected on air link between the two countries opening Kunming-Dhaka-Beijing route and on Kunming-Myanmar-Cox's Bazar road links.
In reply to a question, the foreign secretary said Dhaka will seek soft loan from Beijing instead of suppliers' credits to finance some new national projects in Bangladesh.
"We're negotiating loans for
various projects and both sides hopefully will come to an agreement," he told a questioner.
Although he could not give precise number of deals, he said a number of agreements and MoUs are likely to be signed for socioeconomic development during the two-day visit of the Chines premier. " We will seek increased cooperation in education, culture, food, floods, telecommunications and crime control."
Asked about defence purchases, including F-7 jets from China, Hemayet parried the query, saying FROM PAGE 1
that Bangladesh and China have a very good defence cooperation.
When asked if Khaleda-Wen's talks would also focus on the purchase of military hardware, he said, "I don't think so." But he agreed that the two prime ministers would discuss entire gamut of bilateral issues, including defence cooperation.
He said Dhaka will seek Beijing's support for enhanced capacity building of the police and other lawenforcement agencies.
Depicting a dismal trade scenario, the foreign secretary said the two-way trade stood at $1143 million in 2003-04. Bangladesh imported goods worth $1079 million against its export of $ 46 million to China.
On duty-free access of Bangladeshi products, he said 84 items will enter the Chinese market from January 2006 under the Hong Kong Agreement to narrow the trade gap.
He said Chinese companies registered 107 projects with BoI with investment prospects of $246.75 million till March this year.
Asked about recent Dhaka-Beijing bickering on Taiwan issue, the foreign secretary clearly said Bangladesh firmly believes in one-China policy with Taiwan being a province of China.
He said the Chinese premier will lead a 102-member team that includes four cabinet ministers, four vice-ministers, senior officials and a large number of businesspeople.
Bangladesh Ambassador to China Ashfaqur Rahman and other senior foreign ministry officials were present at the press briefing.