Visiting Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Liu Jianchao, has underscored the significance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to China in July which he thinks will help uplift the relationship, engaging in new areas of cooperation for mutual benefit. “I’m sure that during this visit, the relationship will be uplifted again. We are really grateful for her (PM Hasina) tremendous contributions to China-Bangladesh relations,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at a dialogue in Dhaka today (June 25, 2024). Minister Jianchao said that today China and Bangladesh are breaking new ground for further and stronger partnership and friendship as both countries are developing fast and both governments are committed to delivering for the people and to the modernization drive. He emphasized the historical depth and future potential of Bangladesh-China relations and noted that the relationship with Bangladesh is always one of China’s priorities in its neighbourhood diplomacy, which is making steady progress under the guidance of the two leaders. Read more: China backs Bangladesh's bid to join BRICS: Minister Liu Jianchao “Strong friendship and trust have been developed between the two peoples during their fight for national liberation and independence. The seed of this friendship was planted by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman,” he added. The Chinese Embassy in Dhaka hosted the dialogue titled “Looking Towards the Future of China-Bangladesh Relations: A Conversation with the CPC Delegation” at the Renaissance Hotel. The event, moderated by the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, also brought together leaders from Bangladesh Awami League and its associate bodies, BNP, Jatiya Party, Workers Party, as well as representatives from the business, academic, and media communities, who engaged in insightful discussions on various aspects of Bangladesh-China ties and highlighted issues needing enhanced attention. Ambassador Yao Wen said this event is more than a celebration of friendship; it is a pivotal moment to foster deeper connections and explore avenues for mutual growth. “China and Bangladesh share a legacy of amity that has been nurtured over generations,” he said. “The flourishing state of our relations is a result of our joint endeavours and the collective aspirations of our peoples. This dialogue serves as a vital channel for the exchange of ideas and perspectives on advancing our partnership,” said the Chinese envoy. In his opening remarks, Liu Jianchao expressed his enthusiasm about the visit to Bangladesh, saying, “I was really excited about this trip even before I came. Not only because I’ve never been to Bangladesh, but also because in recent years, I’ve been hearing about the economic miracle of this great country. In the last two-three days, I’ve been moving around, meeting local people, visiting projects contracted or supported by China, such as the Padma Bridge, and Bangladeshi companies.” Read more: China keen to continue all possible co-operation for Bangladesh’s development: Minister Liu Jianchao He also met with the leaders of Bangladesh, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud. “I had a strong sense that the China-Bangladesh partnership and friendship have remained very strong. Next year, we’re going to celebrate the 50th anniversary, half a century of excellent relationship between our two countries.” Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh, both countries have consistently respected, trusted, and supported each other, he observed. “Our relationship has emerged even stronger and become a paradigm of equality, mutual benefit, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence between neighbours. The Chinese Dream and the Sonar Bangla dovetail each other and can enable each other’s success,” the Chinese minister said. He recalled the historic visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh in October 2016, during which the relationship was elevated to a strategic cooperative partnership. He also highlighted the meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Hasina in South Africa last August, where they reached important consensus on strengthening strategic communication, promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and enhancing people-to-people exchanges and multilateral cooperation. Liu Jianchao detailed the tangible benefits arising from the cooperation between China and Bangladesh under the Belt and Road Initiative. “Fourteen major infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Framework have been put to use or made fast progress, including the Padma Bridge and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman tunnel. These projects have delivered tangible benefits to our two peoples and served as a firm basis for our future cooperation,” he stated. He expressed China’s readiness to work with Bangladesh on aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with Vision 2041 and the development of the southern region in Bangladesh, emphasizing deeper cooperation in infrastructure, digital economy, clean energy, climate response, and industrial upgrading. Addressing the importance of maintaining relationships with political parties, the minister outlined China’s diplomatic principles. “We uphold three major principles when dealing with political parties of other countries. First, we never draw ideological lines, and that is why we have friends all over the world. Second, we develop relations with political parties of other countries, no matter whether they are in office or not. Third, we are committed to seeking common ground while resolving differences, respecting each other, and learning from each other,” Liu Jianchao explained. He noted that China has invited many political party leaders from Bangladesh to visit China, enhancing mutual understanding, trust, and friendship. Shammi Ahmed MP, International Affairs Secretary of Awami League, expressed optimism about Prime Minister Hasina’s upcoming visit to China. “China is a role model to every developing country and the second-largest economic power. Bangladesh Awami League signed an MoU with the CPC, and that is the only political party in the world that officially Awami League has signed a memorandum of understanding with,” she said. Read more: PM Hasina's forthcoming visit to China will significantly advance dev cooperation: Foreign Minister

As the sun dips below the horizon, Guangzhou transforms into a city of lights. The Pearl River, or Zhujiang, which slices through this sprawling metropolis, offers the best seat in the house for an unforgettable nighttime spectacle: a river cruise that showcases the illuminated beauty of the city, with the iconic Canton Tower aglow in the backdrop. Embarking on the Journey The journey began at the bustling wharf in the city center, where our team of Bangladeshi journalists gathered to board one of the many boats decked out in vibrant lights. As the cool evening breeze wafted over the river, the boat slipped away from the dock, and the city's bustling sounds faded into a serene silence punctuated only by the gentle lapping of water against the hull. Canton Tower: A Beacon of Light The highlight of the cruise is undoubtedly the passage beside the Canton Tower. This 600-meter-tall architectural marvel is not just a feat of engineering but also a canvas for a dazzling light show. As the boat glided along, the tower emitted radiant light sequences that painted the sky in a kaleidoscope of colors. The reflection of these lights on the water's surface created a mesmerizing double spectacle. Read more: Spain Travel Guide: Top 10 Must-Visit Places A River Lined with Illuminations But the Canton Tower isn't the only highlight lighting up the night. The cruise offers panoramic views of Guangzhou’s skyline, lit by the glow from numerous buildings and bridges. Each structure along the riverbank contributes its own unique burst of color, from the traditional reds and golds to the modern neon blues and greens that outline the sleek, contemporary facades of newer constructions. The Liede Bridge dazzles with its dynamic light show synchronized to music, making it a floating dance of luminescence. This, combined with the shimmering outlines of other bridges like the Jiangwan and Haiyin, forms a continuous visual symphony that reflects Guangzhou's blend of tradition and modernity. For those keen on photography, the cruise is a treasure trove of opportunities. The play of light and shadow, along with the city's reflection on the calm waters, makes for stunning compositions. Whether it's capturing the sweeping arc of a brightly lit bridge or the Canton Tower's ever-changing colors, each moment is a photographic masterpiece waiting to happen. Read more: Solo Trip: Tips for Travelling Alone for the First Time

The extension of duty-free treatment to 98% of tariff lines will help Bangladesh to further increase its exports to China, the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka said Tuesday.  A tariff line is World Trade Organization-jargon for a product as defined in lists of tariff rates. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his recent visit to Bangladesh, announced that the duty-free treatment of 98% of goods in the different tariff lines originating from Bangladesh will take into effect on September 1. This will further help to boost Bangladesh’s export to China, said the Embassy. But what if the new products added to the list find no demand in China? That is why some perusal of the new tariff lines, and just how many the 1% rise represents, is important.  China had been providing duty-free facility to 97 percent of Bangladeshi products, including all garment products, since July 1, 2021. We now know that 383 new products, including leather items, have been added to the list now, thereby expanding the benefit to 98 percent of the products. Read: Bangladesh-China ties promoting common prosperity, shared benefits: Beijing Here the Chinese side are keen to point to the addition of leather products from Bangladesh that will now enjoy duty free access to the huge Chinese market. Several kinds of basic leather products added into the 98% zero-tariff lines are "good news" to Bangladeshi exporters in the leather industry, which the Chinese have been really playing up as an industry with huge potential in Bangladesh..  Businessmen in the leather industry have already been focusing on the opportunity provided by the duty-free treatment, according to the Chinese Embassy. Programs  are even underway to facilitate Chinese manufacturing enterprises related to leather products to form business relations with Bangladesh’s leather exporters, it said. Bangladesh has many high-quality agricultural, livestock and fishery products too, many of which have been added to the list. For example, China said, the national fish of Bangladesh, the hilsa, is among both the 97% and the 98% zero tariff lines, and has already acquired the inspection and quarantine access to the Chinese market.  Bangladesh’s mango, jackfruit, guave, honey, and beef are all listed as duty free products in both the 97% and the 98% tariff lines.  Varied by different categories of tariff lines, compared with duty-free treatment on 97% tariff lines, there are several hundred products now added to the list in getting to the 98%,  Some of these are agricultural products, crude oil of groundnut, crude cotton-seed oil, liquid crystal display panel, paper product, saloon cars and chemicals, are all included, said the Chinese Embassy. 

Bangladesh will sign a memorandum of understanding on coproduction of Sinopharm vaccine with relevant parties on August 16. The signing ceremony will be held at 3pm at BCPS auditorium Mohakhali in the city, said the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming will attend and witness the signing of the MoU. Read: A million more Sinopharm doses land in Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen earlier said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on coproduction of Sinopharm vaccine in Bangladesh is ready for signing and it should be done without any delay. “We’ve received it (MoU) and it’s with the Health Ministry. It should be done at any moment. I think the Health Ministry should dispose of it very quickly,” he told reporters. Read: US okays Covid booster dose for those with weak immune systems Dr Momen said the government of Bangladesh, Sinopharm and a local company (Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd) will sign the agreement. He said Incepta will bring in bulk and bottling, labeling and finishing of the vaccine will be done locally making the price relatively very cheap.

Bangladesh will receive 20 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China on Saturday night as part of the commercial agreement as the country has accelerated its vaccination drive. Deputy Chief of Mission at Chinese Embassy in Dhaka Hualong Yan on Friday told UNB that the vaccine doses will arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in two aircraft. He said China will also provide 10 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine in addition to the 11 lakh doses already received as a gift from it. "This is a gift for our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters in their fight against the pandemic," Hualong Yan said. Read: China to continue providing vaccine aid to Bangladesh: Wang Yi Bangladesh has already received 20 lakh doses of Sinopharm vaccine as part of commercial purchase from China. Bangladesh will receive initially 1.5 crore doses of vaccine as part of a commercial purchase agreement. Hualong said China stands ready to provide support and assistance to help with Bangladesh government's poverty alleviation through the China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Center. Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China will continue to provide Bangladesh with the Covid vaccines to help Bangladesh fight the epidemic. Read: Covid-19: Government orders 66 crore vaccine doses worth RS 14,505 crore He also said China is willing to work with Bangladesh to maintain the momentum of the development of the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries. The Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister met Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momon in Tashkent and discussed the issues on the sidelines of the International Conference on “Central and South Asia: Regional connectivity - Challenges and opportunities” on Thursday. Wang Yi said that China and Bangladesh are good neighbours and friends and the two sides always adhere to equal treatment and mutual respect, continue to deepen friendly cooperation, and actively jointly build the "Belt and Road".

Commercially purchased two million doses of Sinopharm vaccine are on the way to reaching Bangladesh from China. The consignment is expected to reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 1am in two aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said Hualong Yan, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. Also read: Bangladesh to receive 45 lakh vaccine doses from COVAX, China within 2 days: Minister Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque will receive the vaccine doses.

Bangladesh will receive 45 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine from COVAX facility and China within the next couple of days. Twenty-five lakh doses of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine under COVAX facility will arrive in Dhaka on Friday and Saturday in two separate consignments. On the other hand, Bangladesh will receive two consignments of commercially purchased Sinopharm vaccine doses -- 11 lakh and 9 lakh -- in the next two days. Health Minister Zahid Maleque shared the updates in a video message on Thursday. Read: 80pc people to be vaccinated by March: Zahid Maleque “Around 12 lakh vaccine doses will reach Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:20 pm on Friday and the rest on Saturday,” said the minister. The minister will be present at the airport on Friday. Earlier, Deputy Chief of Mission at Chinese Embassy in Dhaka Hualong Yan said the first consignment of 2 million doses of vaccine as part of Bangladesh government's commercial purchase from China's Sinopharm are ready for delivery in Beijing.

China is preparing a the second batch of 600,000 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to Bangladesh. The announcement came Friday, just nine days after the arrival of the first batch of 500,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine as a gift. China says the move fully reflects that it attaches great importance to the friendly relations between the two countries. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Friday to this end. Read Bangladesh, China, others call for avoiding vaccine nationalism At the request of Bangladesh, it was announced that China would handover the second batch of 600,0000 vaccine doses to Bangladesh. China pays close attention to the latest situation of the epidemic in Bangladesh, the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka said. At this critical time in Bangladesh’s fight against the epidemic, China is concerned about the urgent need for vaccinating its Bangladeshi friends, to help the  overcomes the huge demand for domestic and foreign orders and the shortage of vaccine supply, it said. The arrival of the second batch vaccine will definitely help the Bangladeshi government and people build a strong line of defense against the epidemic, China said. Also read: Govt approves proposal to import Sinofarm vaccine In the future, China is willing to provide necessary support for Bangladesh and South Asian countries to fight the epidemic, deepen anti-epidemic cooperation with Bangladesh, and effectively protect the health and security of their citizens. The Chinese Foreign Minister assured of providing all kinds of support to ensure continuation of "stable supply" of COVID vaccines to Bangladesh. Dr Momen requested his Chinese counterpart to take an initiative for coproduction of vaccines in Bangladesh. The Chinese Foreign Minister said they will encourage the Chinese companies to go for coproduction of vaccines with Bangladesh. Read WHO team working with Chinese vaccine producers ahead of potential emergency use: WHO director-general He said China keeps up its support with Malaysia, Turkey, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates on vaccine coproduction.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said he is willing to work with Bangladesh to further connect their development strategies, deepen practical cooperation across the board, and strive for new outcomes from the Bangladesh-China Strategic Partnership of Cooperation. “China and Bangladesh are close neighbours and traditional friends. In recent years, China-Bangladesh relations enjoy a sound momentum of development, with strategic mutual trust being strengthened and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative pressing ahead,” he said in a message to his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh, the Chinese President, on behalf of the government and people of China and in his own name, extended his sincere congratulations and best wishes to President Hamid and the friendly people of Bangladesh. Over the past five decades, President Xi said, the diligent and self-reliant people of Bangladesh have made remarkable progress in social and economic development, which has improved the living standard in the country, contributing an important share to the cause of global poverty elimination. “Our traditional friendship has been elevated to a new height in our joint efforts to fight COVID-19,” said the Chinese President. Also read: Will strengthen development strategies with Bangladesh: Chinese President “I wish Bangladesh great prosperity and her people happiness,” reads the message shared by the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday night. In a separate message to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Bangladesh-China relations are on a fast lane of development, with cooperation in all areas proceeding steadily. Facing the Covid-19 pandemic, he said, the two countries have been on the same boat and lent each other helping hands, further deepening the traditional friendship. “The Chinese side sets great store by China-Bangladesh relations, and is willing to further accelerate the pace of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to bring more benefits to our two countries and peoples,” said the Chinese Premier. Also read: Ready to bring China-Bangladesh ties to new heights: Xi Jinping On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Bangladesh, he, on behalf of the government of China, extended sincere congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister Hasina and to the friendly people of Bangladesh. “In recent years, under your (Hasina) leadership, the people of Bangladesh have been focusing on reform and development, and have achieved encouraging progress in building the country and improving people's livelihood,” said the Chinese Premier. As a friendly neighbour and partner, he said, China rejoices at the achievements of Bangladesh. “I wish Bangladesh great prosperity and her people happiness.” State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi also sent a message to his Bangladesh counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen. Also read: Bangladesh, China can further fortify ties through exploring new areas of cooperation: PM “I’m ready to work with you to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of our two countries, promote pragmatic cooperation between our two counties across the board to achieve new results, strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs and bring benefits to the two countries and two peoples,” said the Chinese Foreign Minister. In recent years, he said, Bangladesh has sustained a sound momentum of social-economic development, with the living standard of her people improved significantly, and has played a contributing role for regional stability and prosperity. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence Bangladesh, the Chinese Foreign Minister extended his heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Dr Momen. “I wish Bangladesh great prosperity and its people happiness.”

China has said it will continue its vaccine cooperation with relevant countries including Bangladesh, offering support within its capability.