Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting on March 28, as Dhaka and Beijing are eyeing stronger ties marking the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations, officials said Thursday.
In separate briefings at Foreign Service Academy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and MoFA Spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam said Dr Yunus will leave Dhaka for China on March 26 on a four-day visit.
“We expect that there will be a bilateral meeting with the Chinese President,” Press Secretary Alam said, adding that the MoFA will share the details in due course of time.
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Rafiqul Alam said the bilateral meeting between the two leaders is likely to be held on March 28.
He said the Chief Adviser will attend a programme on March 29 at the Peking University and will return to Dhaka at night (same day).
As per the plans, the Chief Adviser will first attend the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 which will be held from March 25 to 28 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province.
On March 27, Dr Yunus will participate in the inaugural plenary session of the BFA and Executive Vice President of the State Council will meet the Chief Adviser the same day.
The Chief Adviser will attend the Independence Day programme before his departure from Dhaka on March 26 (afternoon).
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On August 25 last year, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen conveyed the Chinese leadership's invitation to Dr Yunus to visit China at his convenience.
Dr Yunus will travel to Beijing from China's Hainan Province for bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 28.
“China and Bangladesh are best friends and trustworthy partners. So, whatever change is taking place internationally or domestically in Bangladesh, our policy remains steadfast,” Ambassador Yao said recently, adding that no matter who forms the government China wants to be their partner and their policy is not related to any particular government.
He said they believe their cooperation is for the benefit of all the Bangladeshi people and the people of China as well.
BFA Secretary General Zhang Jun said with the theme "Asia in the changing World: Towards a shared Future," this year's event will focus on development, foster dialogue, explore innovative formats and value tangible outcomes, all aimed at promoting international development and cooperation.
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He said the theme is intended to reinvigorate multilateralism, promote openness and development, jointly respond to global challenges, and carry out the commitments of the UN Summit of the Future while focusing on the development of Asia.
Many heads of international and regional organizations, ministerial-level officials, entrepreneurs of Fortune Global 500, and renowned experts and scholars have already confirmed their participation in the annual conference, Zhang said.
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He said the event will focus on four subject areas: building trust and promoting cooperation in a fast-changing world; rebalancing globalisation for inclusive development; accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals for more effective responses to global challenges; and strengthening AI application and governance for innovation-driven development.