Stressing that Dhaka-Beijing relationship is a people-centric one, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday expressed optimism that Bangladesh can overcome all the difficulties and challenges by working together to bring a new Bangladesh which is “more united, stable, more democratic and prosperous.”
While responding to a question at a seminar, he also hoped that with the leadership of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, all major political parties will work in a cooperative approach for a stable and prosperous Bangladesh.
“China and Bangladesh are best friends and trustworthy partners. So, whatever change is taking place internationally or domestically in Bangladesh, our policy remains steadfast,” he said, adding that no matter who forms the government, China wants to be their partner and their policy is not related to any particular government.
Ambassador Yao said they believe their cooperation is for the benefit of all the Bangladeshi people and the people of China as well.
The Ambassador referred to visits of top leaders of Bangladesh to China over the past decades. “So, we have a tradition to have good relations with traditional high level visits.”
Replying to a question on the Chief Adviser’s upcoming visit to China from March 26-29, he said China invites all prime ministers or heads of government, and that he cannot make any comment on the priorities of the visit at this point.
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He said there is no universal form of democracy and it can vary from country to country and the people of the particular country can decide on it.
The Centre for Alternatives hosted the seminar titled "National Image of China in Bangladesh" at a city hotel, where its Executive Director and international affairs expert Dr Imtiaz Ahmed presented a paper.
Former Rector of Bangladesh Foreign Service Academy Mashfee Binte Shams, Dhaka University Prof Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir and independent researcher, analyst Syed Shahnawaz Mohsin and former DU International Relations Department Prof Dr Amena Mohsin spoke at the seminar.
On the Rohingya issue, the envoy said China, as the best friend of both Bangladesh and Myanmar, is determined to play their role to help and he still believes there is no other option except repatriation. “That's the final solution. So, we are willing to play a role.”
Ambassador Yao said they are bringing together Myanmar and Bangladesh to talk for the solution and they almost became successful. “But due to the internal conflict inside Myanmar, especially in Rakhine state, all our efforts have to be suspended.”
He, however, said they never give up and they are doing their part to have ceasefire arrangements inside Myanmar and they are working both with the Myanmar military and ethnic minority groups.
The Ambassador laid emphasis on collective international efforts and they need the common standing between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Ready to encourage more investment
Ambassador Yao said China is ready to encourage more companies to increase their investment in Bangladesh in the fields of textiles and garments, clean energy, electric vehicles and digital technology.
Yao said China promised to continuously expand its opening up to Bangladesh and provide it with zero-tariff treatment for all taxable items before Bangladesh graduates from the status of least developed country.
So far, 14 Chinese companies have invested a total of 230 million USD in Bangladesh since the establishment of the interim government.
"Let’s work together to tell a vibrant and passionate story of China-Bangladesh friendship. Let’s make the tree of China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership continue to bear more fruitful results in the new era," Ambassador Yao said.
The seminar highlighted that Bangladesh and China can work together toward a more balanced trade relationship, attract greater Chinese investment in Bangladesh’s industrial and technology sectors, and foster public private partnerships for sustainable infrastructure development.
It was mentioned that China's role in regional diplomacy, particularly concerning the Rohingya crisis, is recognised, but expectations for a more proactive stance persist.
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It was also highlighted that China's relationship with Bangladesh is focused on the benefits of people.
Ambassador Yao said they need to make unremitting efforts for a closer brotherhood between the two peoples - Bangladesh and China.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations.
"Bilateral relations between two countries face a historical opportunity to build on the past and forge ahead into the future," said the Chinese envoy.
Since the beginning of this year, Bangladesh and China have made frequent exchanges in various fields and at several levels.
"Yesterday (March 10), we saw off the first group of Bangladeshi patients, doctors and travel agencies to Kunming, Yunnan Province of China, for medical check-ups, treatment, and hospital reviews," Ambassador Yao said, adding that in the future, they will further expand their cooperation, adding more Chinese cities and high-level hospitals to our medical cooperation to provide Bangladeshi patients with more diverse and quality medical choices.
He said they welcome scholars from both countries to further strengthen in-depth research on bilateral relations, accurately capture public opinion trends, strengthen friendly narratives to resolve misunderstandings and build a solid foundation for the close ties between the Chinese and Bangladeshi peoples.
On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh, Ambassador Yao congratulated the Centre for Alternatives for successfully conducting the survey on the national image of China in Bangladesh for three consecutive years.
With various charts and models, the report shows vividly the Bangladeshi people's cognition and friendly feelings towards China, said the envoy.
What deserves attention is that some positive trend changes are reflected in this report, he said. "And it also puts forward valuable suggestions for areas that need further enhancement."
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Sharing his three thoughts and views on the public opinion towards China reflected in the report, Ambassador Yao said they need to uphold the unshakable foundation of the ties between our two peoples, which is getting better with each day passing by.
He said 99 percent of the people interviewed approve of and support the friendly relationship between China and Bangladesh, showcasing the broadness of the consensus.
Around 60.1 percent of Bangladeshi people thought positively of China in 2022, which rose to 66.7 percent in 2024.
About 50 percent of Bangladeshi people recognised the development of China's economy, science and technology in 2022, and the figure surged to 85 percent in 2024.
The Bangladeshi people widely welcome Chinese investment in Bangladesh and speak highly of the important role of bilateral cooperation in Bangladesh's national development, construction and poverty alleviation.
"Bangladeshi people also evaluate positively the "Belt and Road" cooperation between the two countries, and believe that it has a bright future. What’s behind all the data is China's adherence to the policy of friendship and good-neighborliness for all Bangladeshi people," said the Ambassador.
He said the enthusiasm shown by the Bangladeshi people has greatly increased their confidence in further promoting the development of the Bangladesh-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
Secondly, the envoy said, they need to pay great importance to the opinions and suggestions put forward by the Bangladeshi people on strengthening people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.
He said Bangladeshi people admire China's unprecedented development achievements, wish to learn more about China's experience in state governance, and would like to have a more comprehensive understanding of China’s major initiatives such as the idea of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind and the Global Development Initiative.
"We are pleased to see that 75 percent of the Bangladeshi people are willing to visit in person or send their children to China to receive higher education, up by 5 percentage points compared to that in 2022," said the envoy.
Around 29 percent of the Bangladeshi people showed great interest in going to China for medical treatment, a significant increase of 13 percent in comparison with 2022.
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"This indicates that the Bangladeshi people are looking forward to traveling, studying, and doing business in China, so that they could experience and understand China’s traditional culture and social development better by themselves," Ambassador Yao said.
"However, at the same time, we also see the challenges for people-to-people exchanges. The frequency and effect need to be strengthened," he added.
To facilitate the exchanges and interactions between the two sides, the envoy said direct flights between the two capitals have been launched and are being operated.
Now there are as many as 58 flights per week between the two countries, which can accommodate more than 11,000 passengers, the Ambassador said.
The Chinese government has introduced a series of measures to simplify the procedures for Bangladeshi people to visit China, he said.