The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the People's Republic of Bangladesh held a reception on July 31, 2023, to celebrate the 96th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA).
Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer of Bangladesh Armed Forces Division, graced the reception as the chief guest.
More than 200 dignitaries from the Bangladeshi armed forces, government, police, foreign missions, defence attachés in Dhaka, and the local Chinese community attended the event, said the embassy.
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Senior Colonel Du Xinsheng, Defence Attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, said since its birth in 1927, the PLA has embarked on an extraordinary journey to achieve independence and liberation of the Chinese nation, safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development, as well as advance peace and progress in the world.
He said over the past decades, the PLA has been participating in numerous UN peacekeeping operations, international disaster relief efforts and humanitarian programs, and has forged ever closer friendship and cooperation with the armed forces from other countries including Bangladesh.
During a friendship and humanitarian voyage of "The Peace Ark", a China's navy hospital ship, a Chinese female military doctor helped a Bangladesh mother get through a dangerous time and give birth to her daughter in Chattogram.
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And the father named her daughter "Chin", the Bangali word for China.
It is a very touching story of friendship between China and Bangladesh. Chinese President Xi Jinping recently wrote back to this Bangladeshi girl Alifa Chin, encouraging her to study hard, pursue her dream and carry forward the traditional friendship between China and Bangladesh, said the Embassy.
The reply from the Chinese President endowed the China-Bangladesh friendship with new connotations and aroused enthusiastic repercussions in both countries.
Guided by the consensus reached by top leaders of China and Bangladesh, the two militaries will continually strengthen solidarity and cooperation on the basis of the already fruitful results, work together to meet challenges, and jointly write a new chapter in deepening China-Bangladesh friendship and maintaining world peace.
Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zamandelivered a speech as the chief guest in which he congratulated the PLA on the occasion, highly appreciated the friendly relations between the two countries and the two militaries and was looking forward to the Chinese and Bangladeshi militaries joining hands to achieve new and greater achievements.
A photo exhibition themed "The Peace Ark" featuring UN peacekeeping and escort missions was displayed at the reception.
A video showing the active participation of the Chinese military in international security cooperation and a documentary in regard to the story of Alifa Chin were played.
The guests expressed warm congratulations on the 96th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, and spoke highly of the PLA's achievements and contributions to world peace.
They also offered their best wishes for the sound and stable development of relations between the Chinese and Bangladeshi militaries.
The reception concluded with full success in an agreeable and amicable atmosphere.