China salutes Bangladesh for its achievements: Liu Jianchao

China is very much looking forward to the upcoming visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in about two weeks' time when efforts will be made to deepen the cooperation in infrastructure, digital economy, clean energy, climate response and industrial upgrading.

“Our goal is to provide more support and pathways for Bangladesh to achieve sustainable and resilient development, create more highlights in China-Bangladesh cooperation, and boost people's sense of involvement, fulfillment and happiness in our cooperation,” said visiting Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Liu Jianchao.

Speaking at a dialogue on “China-Bangladesh Relations: Looking towards the future: A Conversation with the CPC Delegation” at Renaissance Hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday (25 June) morning, he said the relationship with Bangladesh is always one of the priorities in China's neighbourhood diplomacy, which is making steady progress under the guidance of leaders of the two countries.

Praising Bangladesh, Jianchao said “I can truly feel that Bangladesh is a fascinating and promising land, which is home to hard-working and talented people, and a time-honoured and splendid culture.”

Marching towards the goal of Sonar Bangla, he said Bangladesh has stood out as an emerging economy in the region. As a friendly neighbor with a shared future, China salutes and congratulates on the achievements made by Bangladesh.

“What we Chinese find particularly impressive is that, since the independence of Bangladesh, with painstaking efforts, it has been able to feed nearly 200 million people on a land less than 150,000 square kilometers.”

In recent years, by focusing on reform and development, he said Bangladesh has created an annual growth rate of over 6% and made prominent progress in advancing industrialization and urbanization.

The visiting minister of CPC said China is always committed to sharing development opportunities with Bangladesh. The Chinese Dream and Sonar Bangla do dovetail with each other and can enable each other's success.

“Both China and Bangladesh, as developing countries and emerging economies with big populations, aspire to independently explore the development paths that fit their national conditions. The Sonar Bangla reflects the Bangladeshi dream of national strength and prosperity.”
The Chinese Dream is about seeking rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, he said adding that both visions reflect the people's aspiration for a better life.

In this context, he said the seed of friendship, planted by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman together with Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai among the older generation of Chinese leaders, has grown into a giant tree with rich fruits.

Since the establishment of the diplomatic ties, he said both the countries have always respected, trusted and supported each other no matter how the international landscape evolved. Our relationship has emerged even stronger and become a paradigm of equality, mutual benefit and harmonious coexistence between neighbors.

The Minister said China will stay committed to higher-level opening up to countries around the world including Bangladesh. “Going forward, we stand ready to work with Bangladesh for the alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Vision 2041 and the proposal of development of the southern region.”

He highlighted the personal efforts of leaders of the two countries and the strategic guidance they provide, the relationship has made big strides. In October 2016, President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Bangladesh, during which the relationship was elevated to strategic cooperative partnership.

In August last year, the Chinese Minister said President Xi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had a successful meeting in South Africa, where they had an in-depth exchange of views and reached important consensus on strengthening strategic communication, promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and stepping up people-to-people exchanges and multilateral cooperation.

“With Bangladesh coming to a new starting point after the election, our relations are entering a new development stage.”

He said the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), which is responsible for the Party's international exchanges, CPC has been active in international outreach and it now maintains regular contacts and interactions with more than 600 political parties and organisations from over 160 countries.

Highlighting the three major principles of the CPC, he said, “We never draw ideological lines, and that is why we have friends all over the world; we develop relations with political parties no matter whether they are in office or not. That is why we have so many true friends and old friends, and we are committed to seeking common ground while reserving differences, respecting each other, and learning from each other.”

In his speech, Ambassador of China to Bangladesh Yao Wen said China and Bangladesh share a legacy of amity that has been nurtured over generations. “The flourishing state of our relations is a result of our joint endeavors and the collective aspirations of our peoples.”

He said the enduring friendship between China and Bangladesh is deeply rooted in the shared history and the relationship has delivered significant benefits to the peoples and has been bolstered by the unwavering support from all sectors in both countries.

It was addressed, among others, by Leader of the Opposition in Jatiya Sangshad and Chairman of Jatiya Party Ghulam Muhammed Quader, International Affairs Secretary of Awami League Dr. Shammi Ahmed MP, General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami Swechasebak League Afzalur Rahman Babu, Executive Director of Center for Alternatives Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed, Former Secretary (West) of the Foreign Ministry Shabbir Ahmad Chowdhury, FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam and Vice President Shomi Kaiser and President & CEO of Cosmos Group Enayetullah Khan.