“China pays very close attention to Rohingya issue. We also hope that in the process of implementing the BCIM Economic Corridor, we can come up with very good solution to the problem,” said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Zuo at a briefing at Westin Hotel here on Wednesday evening.
Bangladesh has been “actively promoting” the BCIM Economic Corridor, a key BRI project connecting China with South Asia and the resourceful Indian Ocean.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun recently said Bangladesh is centrally situated along the BCIM Economic Corridor and expected to be hugely benefitted from the enhanced connectivity.
Briefing the media and think tanks on the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), Ambassador Zuo said the repatriation is one of the parts of the overall solution to the Rohingya crisis. “We believe that the real solution to the problem lies in development.”
Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.2 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and over 700,000 arrived in Bangladesh since August, 2017.
The Chinese Ambassador appreciated the government and the people of Bangladesh for sheltering Rohingyas despite Bangladesh’s own difficulties.
He said China, since the crisis began, communicated with both Bangladesh and Myanmar, and put forward a three-phase solution. “China is willing to continue to play a constructive role.”
Ambassador Zuo said Bangladesh and Myanmar could continue dialogue and communicating over the issue keeping each other’s concerns in minds.
About the BCIM EC, he said China hopes that all relevant parties of the BCIM can work together for an early progress. “We’ll work with all the three countries involved in the BCIM EC initiative to see early, substantial progress and early outcomes.”
The Chinese envoy said China and Myanmar signed a document on the construction of economic corridor which is very important part of the BCIM. “This can also be seen as one of the early outcomes of the larger BCIM project.”
With the efforts and contribution of all parties, action and result-oriented programmes and policies, the BCIM initiative could see a very good progress, he said.
The envoy said he always believes that India will not hold any reservation against the BCIM.
President and CEO of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Ambassador Farooq Sobhan, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) President Maj Gen (retd) ANM Muniruzzaman, Centre for Policy Dialogue Executive Director Dr Fahmida Khatun and senior officials of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka were also present.