Bangladesh and China engaged in discussions on regional connectivity during the 12th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in Dhaka on May 27, 2023. The talks aimed to explore ways to contribute to connectivity in the region within the framework of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Both sides expressed their interest in enhancing regional connectivity in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative, as stated in a press release issued by Bangladesh’s foreign ministry in Dhaka.
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The FOC was attended by Bangladesh’s foreign secretary, Masud Bin Momen, and China’s vice minister of foreign affairs, Sun Weidong. Various bilateral, multilateral, and regional issues were discussed, including the Rohingya crisis.
During the discussions, Vice Minister Sun mentioned that his visit to Dhaka after ten years allowed him to witness Bangladesh’s remarkable development achievements under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the government’s efforts.
Co-operation to solve the Rohingya Crisis
China restated its dedication to supporting the prompt, secure, environmentally friendly, and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The Chinese vice minister stressed that an expeditious repatriation process would bring advantages to Bangladesh, Myanmar, and the broader region.
China appreciated Bangladesh’s initiatives, such as organising the ‘Go and See’ visit in Myanmar and the ‘Come and Talk’ visit in Bangladesh, involving respective delegations from both countries. These visits aimed to facilitate the repatriation of the first batch of the Pilot Project.
The foreign secretary of Bangladesh expressed gratitude for China’s cooperation and highlighted Bangladesh’s on-going efforts to ensure voluntary and sustainable repatriation by engaging friendly countries, regional organizations, and international organizations.
China-Bangladesh strategic partnership
During the discussions, the Chinese side expressed its gratitude to Bangladesh for its unwavering support of the One China Policy. Both parties expressed contentment with the current state of their defense collaboration and examined potential avenues for regular discussions at the staff level and specialized training initiatives.
They also recalled recent high-level political exchanges and meetings that have further strengthened the strategic partnership between the two countries. Bangladesh expressed its appreciation to China for its assistance in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly for providing vaccines.
Trade, investment partnership to grow
The progress of various quality infrastructure projects in Bangladesh was reviewed, and both sides welcomed the upcoming inauguration of significant projects such as the Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River and the Padma Bridge Rail-link.
Efforts were made to address outstanding issues related to additional project proposals in the power and communication sectors, with both parties agreeing to streamline the process. They also discussed ways to enhance exports to China by leveraging the Duty and Quota Free (DFQF) access, which covers 98 percent of products since September 1, 2022.
China expressed particular interest in importing tropical fruits such as mangoes, jackfruit, guava, and frozen foods from Bangladesh, provided they meet the necessary quality specifications. Bangladesh requested the inclusion of other export items like vegetables, pharmaceuticals, raw hides, footwear, and non-knit apparels in the DFQF coverage to reduce the existing trade imbalance.
The Chinese Vice Minister assured Bangladesh of encouraging Chinese farms to invest in the Chinese Special Economic Zone in Chattogram. They also advised timely notification of interest to the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority to resume the Dhaka-Guangzhou direct flight operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Other opportunities of partnership
Both sides reached an agreement to commence Consular Consultations on a regular basis in order to address visa-related matters, particularly concerning Bangladeshi students. Bangladesh conveyed its desire to engage in cooperation with China in the fields of digital technologies and biotechnologies.
China offered its support in building capacity to tackle emerging challenges such as online gambling and drug trafficking. The two parties also agreed, in principle, to hold dedicated dialogues on public security issues.
Lastly, Bangladesh expressed its gratitude to China for sharing meteorological satellite information during natural disasters like cyclones and floods, which have greatly assisted in disaster management efforts.
