DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

In a politically significant visit to Dhaka by its Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Beijing has reiterated its commitment to being a strategic partner in Bangladesh’s development journey.

Dhaka too has reaffirmed its support for the One China Policy.

It has also sought measures to boost export to China, increase of investment inflow here and stronger efforts to repatriate the Rohingyas.

China said it would do everything it could, while continuing its support for Bangladesh on various issues in international forums, as it seeks to take the bilateral relations to newer heights.

When Wang spoke of “provocations” regarding Taiwan, Prime Minister Sheikh told him to handle things with patience and maintain peace and stability, as the world is already facing an array of crises, including economic fallouts from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The minister’s 18-hour visit to Bangladesh began on Saturday evening as part of his regional tour. It came at a time when US-China tensions escalated with the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan on August 2-3 and China’s military exercise in Taiwan Straits.

International relations analysts said the world cannot bear another war when it is already mired in multiple crises.

Wang held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at Hotel Sonargaon from 7:30-8:30am, after which they signed and renewed four MoUs.

Those include handover of the China-aided 8th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge in Pirojpur, Plan of Special Assistance for Disaster Prevention and Reduction, Cultural and Tourism Exchange Programme, and an MoU between Dhaka University’s Institute of Oceanography and Ministry of Natural Resources of China for Cooperation on Marine Science and Technology.

The Chinese FM then met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Gono Bhaban for 35 minutes.