BEIJING: A delegation of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party, headed by Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Dhaka on Tuesday, marking the first political contact between the two countries since the new government came to power in Dhaka.
According to official media reports, South Korea talked about the “deep ties” between “friendly neighbors” during talks with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party delegation, and called for strengthening cooperation in the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” and promoting the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
He also said that the Chinese ruling party is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with BNP Paribas.
Alamgir, who is also the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, said that China is a trustworthy friend and partner of Bangladesh.
The new government will adhere to the one-China principle and the tradition of friendship with Beijing, and looks forward to strengthening high-level exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields to push bilateral relations to a new level.
Alamgir also said that the National Party will continue to work to enhance the friendship between the two parties and the two countries.
The BNP delegation’s first visit to Bangladesh is the first since the Tariq Rahman-led government came to power with a landslide victory in February.
The BNP government’s China policy has come under scrutiny from Beijing and the Indian subcontinent after the 18-month-long interim government led by Mohammad Yunus sought to bring Bangladesh closer to China and Pakistan and pursued anti-India policies that jeopardized close ties between Dhaka and Delhi after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Yunus, who made a high-profile visit to Beijing soon after coming to power, commented on India’s northeastern states that their “landlocked” status offered huge possibilities for the Chinese economy. His remarks triggered a strong reaction in India.
Yunus’ tenure also saw attempts to normalize relations between Dhaka and Islamabad, masking a long and violent freedom struggle against Pakistan that has seen thousands of Bangladeshis killed.
During his tenure, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan established a trilateral mechanism to expand strategic relations between the two countries.
Although the purpose of the BNP delegation’s visit to China is to develop relations with the Chinese Communist Party, Bangladesh has not made an official visit to Beijing since the Rahman government came to power.
New Foreign Minister Khalil Rehman’s recent visit to India, his first abroad since taking office, has aroused significant interest in India as he seeks to normalize relations between Dhaka and Delhi.
He is expected to visit Beijing in the coming weeks.
Previously, Bangladeshi media reported that Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong was originally scheduled to visit Dhaka last month, but according to the official Xinhua News Agency, Sun Weidong has been dismissed.
There is no official explanation as to his identity.
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
