Bangladesh and China on Sunday expressed a shared commitment to transforming recent high-level discussions into actionable projects across a range of sectors, including infrastructure, trade, healthcare, education and culture.
“Our top priority now is to move forward with the plans we discussed during the China visit,” Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus when Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met at the State Guest House Jamuna to review the outcomes of his (Dr Yunus) recent visit to China and outline next steps for accelerating Bangladesh-China cooperation.
“We want to make sure the momentum is not lost,” Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir quoted the Chief Adviser as saying.
The Chinese Ambassador echoed the Chief Adviser’s sentiment, saying, “This is also our top priority. We had one of the highest-level agenda meetings in China, and we do not want to wait another two to three years just to sign agreements—we want to implement them quickly.”
One of the topics discussed was the development of the Mongla and Anowara economic zones.
BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun informed that preparations are underway and, once completed, the zones will be handed over to developers to begin implementation.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to launching a long-term, 50-year master plan on water management, including work on the Teesta River system.
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The two sides also discussed a plan to procure four new vessels from China, with the Chinese side assuring that the process would be completed by June this year.
The Chinese Ambassador also said that China’s Commerce Minister will visit Bangladesh soon, accompanied by a 100-member delegation of investors aiming to explore new investment opportunities.
“We will organise a mini investment summit focused on Chinese investors to strengthen sector-specific collaboration,” said BIDA Chairman Ashik.
Healthcare cooperation featured prominently in the discussion.
The Chinese side reaffirmed their commitment to building a 1,000-bed hospital in Bangladesh, as initially proposed during the China visit. They also highlighted ongoing support in establishing a specialised burn unit in Chittagong.
The Chinese Ambassador informed that progress is being made to launch a direct Kunming–Chittagong flight, and efforts are underway to expedite medical visas for Bangladeshi patients.
The Chief Adviser stressed the importance of cultural exchange, proposing the establishment of a Chinese Cultural Centre and Language Institute to allow young Bangladeshis to engage more closely with Chinese language and culture.
The Chief Adviser also raised the possibility of expanding jute exports to China and urged greater Chinese investment in the locomotive sector. He proposed setting up locomotive manufacturing and maintenance hubs in both Chattogram and Syedpur, alongside capacity-building workshops and training programmes.
Agricultural trade was another area of progress. Bangladesh will begin exporting mangoes to China this season, with jackfruit exports scheduled for next year. “I’ll send a basket of fresh mangoes to President Xi myself,” said Chief Adviser Dr Yunus.
The meeting was also attended by Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, National Security Adviser Dr Khalliur Rahman, BIDA Chairman Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Special Assistant Faiz Taieb, Cabinet Secretary SiraZ Uuddin Miah and SDGs Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed.