“More entrepreneurs from Yunnan province have decided to invest in Bangladesh,” said Chen Hao, Secretary of Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), during a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban office.
PM’s assistant press secretary ABM Sarwer-e-Alom Sarker briefed reporters after the meeting.
Chen Hao, also Chairman of Standing Committee of Yunnan Provincial People’s Congress, said China and Bangladesh are enjoying excellent friendly relations and working for promotion of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of economic development, education, culture and tourism.
He said both the countries have the long history of traditional friendship, especially between Bangladesh and Yunnan province.
Chen Hao, who led the eight-member delegation at the meeting, thanked Bangladesh for participating in the 5th China-South Asian Expo held in Yunnan province last year.
He appreciated Bangladesh for supporting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China and BCIM Economic Corridor as these two initiatives will strengthen the bilateral relations between China and Bangladesh.
Appreciating the 8.13 percent GDP growth of Bangladesh, the CPC leader said like Bangladesh, the economy of Yunnan province is growing at a faster rate. “Such economic growth rates would add more momentum to the further flourishing two economies – Bangladesh and Yunnan, he added.
Chen Hao mentioned that some 750 Bangladeshi students are pursuing their study in Yunnan province and enjoying provincial government scholarship there.
He recalled Sheikh Hasina’s visits to China in 2010 and 2014.
In reply, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh is giving more importance to developing the connectivity between the two countries –Bangladesh and China—alongside neighbouring countries for flourishing business and tourism in the future, which will enhance the people-to-people connectivity.
Beyond the exchange of government-to-government visits, the two countries also have an established mechanism for exchanging visits between members of the two political parties – Bangladesh Awami League and CPC, she said.
Sheikh Hasina said Chinese President Xi Jinping is a great friend of Bangladesh.
She also focused on the Rohingya crisis, economic development of Bangladesh and socio-economic uplift of the people.
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Foreign Ministry Muhammad Faruk Khan and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam were present at the meeting.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming was among the eight-member delegation members.