Sheikh Hasina to embark on a landmark visit to China -this week

For bangladesh current economy resulting ,China has great impect in various matter of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to China is very important .
“We attach great importance to prime minister’s visit to China as Bangladesh and China are trusted friends. We have cordial and friendly relations,” Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said.

Briefing reporters on the visit, Moni said that after the new government assumed power in January 2009, the Chinese government sent a special representative to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and expressed strong desire to work together.

Moni said Bangladesh also wants to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation with China .

On the sidelines of the world climate change conference in Copenhagen last year, Hasina had meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest.

The foreign minister said apart from Sheikh Hasina’s visit, a number of cultural exchange programs will take place this year marking the 35th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Dhaka and Beijing.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will embark on a landmark visit to China this week to boost bilateral ties and enhance economic and technical cooperation.

During Hasina’s five-day tour from March 18, coming soon after her successful India visit in January, Bangladesh and China are expected to sign at least three treaties to boost economic and technical cooperation.

“We consider the tour very important in overall consideration … we have thousand years of ties with China as it is with India,” Foreign Minister Dipu Moni told mediapersons on Sunday.

Asked if Dhaka?s endevour to enhance political and economic cooperation with China could affect its existing good ties with New Delhi, she said: “It?s not true that if we have good relations with India, we cannot build up relationship with China”.

She said the visit was planned coinciding with the 35th anniversary of Dhaka-Beijing relations.

The minister said the two countries were expected ink at last three pacts on economic and technical cooperation, framework on a fertiliser factory and the seventh Bangladesh-China friendship bridge during the visit.

She underlined that railway and road connectivity between the two countries was expected to dominate the talks between Hasina and her Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on March 18.

Replying to a question whether Dhaka would allow Beijing to use its Chittagong Port facility as it was offered to India, Moni said the government wanted to upgrade the facility, enhancing its efficiency and capacity to be used by regional countries.

The foreign minister said the proposed Chittagong-Kunming railway and road links appeared as a crucial issue.

“China proposed the link (through Myanmar), and we accepted it,” she said.

The foreign minister said “Bangladesh will need China” for the proposed deep sea port in the Bay of Bengal as part of the ‘Look East Policy’ initiated by the past BNP-led regime. She said ‘Look East Policy’ was being pursued by the incumbent government for national interest.

Asked if a defence pact between the two countries could be signed during the premier?s visit, Moni said being an ardent follower of non-alignment, Bangladesh wanted enmity with no country.

However, she said the two countries have had a long-standing cooperation in defence sector which was expected to continue in future.

She hoped to use the Chinese good office to resolve its dispute with Myanmar on the maritime boundary.

“We may also seek Chinese good office in resolving our dispute on maritime boundary with Myanmar because of its good relations with our country,” Moni underlined.

Bangladesh would also make effort to bridge the trade gap with China through increased Chinese investment in the country. China is the biggest trade partner of Bangladesh.

The two countries currently have a two way USD 4.6 billion trade relations with a gap of USD 3.5 billion largely in favour of China.

She said the huge trade gap could not be easily removed by enhancing Bangladesh?s exports alone. Dhaka would seek increased Chinese investments to reduce the gap with Beijing.

Zhang Lei, the chief of political section of Chinese embassy here earlier today said Beijing was set to allow duty free access of Bangladeshi products from July 1 this year under a policy for least developed countries.

PTI

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will embark on a landmark visit to China this week to boost bilateral ties and enhance economic and technical cooperation.