Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain is visiting China on his first official bilateral trip, adding a new dimension to Dhaka-Beijing relations.
The Foreign Advisor’s visit, which began on Sunday, is set to span five days during which he will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that will include several issues, chief being boosting economic partnership between the two countries and enhancing bilateral ties.
Other issues include lowering interest rates on loans, exchanging hydrological information, advancing medical treatment cooperation, and encouraging greater Chinese involvement in resolving the ongoing Myanmar situation. Another issue expected to be discussed is China’s potential role in Bangladesh’s crucial Teesta River project, according to The Business Standard BD.
Aside from official talks with the Chinese foreign minister, Hossain is also scheduled to meet with Chinese Communist Party leaders and deliver speeches at the China Institute of International Studies and the Shanghai Institute of International Studies, as well as engage with business representatives in Shanghai to attract Chinese investments in Bangladesh, according to foreign ministry officials.
This is the first official exchange between Bangladesh and China since the interim government of Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus took office, following the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. This move marks a significant change in Bangladesh’s foreign policy, as every foreign minister prior to this always visited India as their first stop.
However, the Yunus government’s relations with India have not been particularly warm. Dhaka’s foreign policy can also largely be expected to be more Beijing-friendly. The interim government has also markedly warmed up towards Pakistan, with the two countries not just discussing greater economic collaboration, but also joint defence ventures, and Dhaka terming Islamabad as a “brotherly” nation.
The country’s Principal Staff Officer (PS0) Lt. Gen SM Kamrul Islam – head of the Bangladesh Armed Forces Division – recently visited Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi to discuss military partnership.
In his pre-departure briefing last week, the Foreign Advisor had said “Economic issues will dominate the discussions. Bangladesh’s trade and economic relations with China are vital”, adding that they “will explore how China can provide budgetary support and accelerate loan disbursements for various projects in Bangladesh,” according to Business Standard BD.