Longi, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the world, has decided to set up an office and invest in solar panel manufacturing in Bangladesh, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said on Sunday. The Ambassador said several top Chinese solar panel manufacturers visited Bangladesh in December to explore opportunities to invest in the country. They made the visit after Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus extended an invitation to Chinese companies to relocate their manufacturing plants here as part of the interim government's plan to turn the country into an economic hub. Of the companies that visited Bangladesh, Ambassador Yao said, at least two Chinese firms, including Longi, have decided to set up offices and plants in the country. "They will invest in Bangladesh very soon," he told Dr Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna. Ambassador Yao said Chinese firms have been the largest investors in Bangladesh since August 5, when the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power. He said dozens of Chinese companies have lined up to invest in Bangladesh as a dedicated Chinese export processing zone is expected to work soon. Ambassador said the upcoming official visit of the Chief Adviser to China would be the most important one in the 50-year-long relationship between the two 'trustworthy" and close friends. Guterres: Societies "stronger, more resilient" in Bangladesh when everyone can play "meaningful role" Prof Yunus welcomed more Chinese investors in Bangladesh, saying the country can be a top manufacturing hub for companies who want to export goods to Western nations. He urged Chinese hospital chains to set up top clinics here or build joint venture healthcare facilities with their Bangladeshi counterparts. "Bangladesh needs massive investment in healthcare. The Chinese hospital chains now have unique opportunities to construct hospitals here," he said. The Ambassador said China has dedicated four hospitals in the southern Chinese city of Kunming for Bangladeshi patients. A group of Bangladeshi people travelled to Kunming last week for treatment. He said Peking University, one of the world's top educational institutions, would confer an honorary doctorate on Professor Yunus during the visit. The Chief Adviser would also speak at the university. During the visit, the first bilateral foreign tour of the Chief Adviser, he would join and speak at the Boao Forum, considered the Davos of the East, where top leaders and CEOs gather every year to discuss top global issues. Prof Yunus would deliver a speech on Asia in a Changing World: Towards a Shared Future. The Chinese executive vice premier will also join him during the session. The Chief Adviser is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 28. The two countries will issue a joint statement after the meeting.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Monday affirmed that China is Bangladesh's most trustworthy and reliable friend, and the relationship between the two nations will continue to strengthen. "China is the most dependable and reliable friend of Bangladesh. China has consistently pursued a policy of friendship and good neighbourliness with all the people of Bangladesh," he said. The Ambassador made the remarks while engaging with the members of the Bangladesh Friendship delegation, who visited China from February 24 to March 6, during a dinner party. The BNP Standing Committee member, who led the 21-member delegation on the visit, along with his wife, Rokhsana Khondker, hosted the event in honour of the Chinese Ambassador and his wife at their residence in Gulshan. "I am certain that you have felt the warm and friendly sentiments of the Chinese people towards the people of Bangladesh," he told the delegation members. He expressed the hope that the visit would further enhance the long-standing friendship and foster deeper cooperation between the two countries in the future. Dr Yunus, UN chief scheduled to visit Rohingya camp on March 14 The ambassador also listened to the delegation members as they shared their experiences from the visit. Most of them said they brought back a message focused on enhancing bilateral ties and deepening cooperation between the two countries. Dr Moyeen Khan expressed gratitude to the Chinese envoy for organising such a remarkable tour, which included delegation members from diverse backgrounds, including representatives from eight political parties, students, scholars, journalists, and researchers. He also highlighted the hospitality and cordiality extended by the Chinese authorities to the delegation during their visit. The BNP leader hoped that the bilateral relationship, particularly the people-to-people bonds, would further be strengthened in the future, to the mutual benefit of both nations. On March 6, the 21-member Bangladesh Friendship Delegation returned home after an 11-day visit to China, at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC). According to Chinese authorities, the visit was part of their strategy to strengthen multiparty relations with Bangladesh following the political changes in August.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming has said the two countries will together write more chapters of "friendship and good neighborliness" on the journey to build a “Sonar Bangla” and achieve the great renewal of the Chinese Nation.

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