United News of Bangladesh

The first Bangladesh-China Joint Cardiovascular Disease Clinic was inaugurated at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) on Tuesday (December 02) to have deeper cooperation in the health sector, contributing to the ‘Health Silk Road’. Health and Family Welfare Adviser Nurjahan Begum, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, Deputy Director General of the Yunnan Foreign Affairs Office Ma Zuoxin and Deputy Director of the Fuwai Yunnan Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Shi Jinyang, among others, attended the ceremony. Read more: Have deep relations with US, extensive economic ties with China: Touhid Hossain

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to defend global free trade at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Friday, where he took center stage after U.S. President Donald Trump skipped the meeting. The annual regional forum, held this year in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, opened a day after Trump departed the country. His earlier meeting with Xi had produced agreements aimed at easing the trade tensions that have rattled the global economy. Although the two leaders’ talks dominated attention, Trump’s absence from APEC underscored his continued rejection of large multilateral gatherings. Critics warn that this could further damage America’s reputation in a forum representing almost 40% of the global population and more than half of world trade. Xi Calls for Unity and Open Trade Addressing APEC’s opening session, Xi urged member nations to strengthen cooperation amid global uncertainty. “The more turbulent the times, the more we must work together,” he said, noting that the world faces “rapid changes and increasing volatility.” He emphasized the importance of stable supply chains, countering U.S. efforts to separate from China economically. Xi also called for deeper collaboration in green industries and clean energy. Read more: Xi, Carney meet in South Korea to rebuild strained China-Canada ties In a written message to the APEC CEO summit, Xi reaffirmed that China remains open to investment and committed to the multilateral trading system. “Those who establish a presence in the Chinese market will seize key opportunities in global competition,” he wrote. “Investing in China means investing in the future.” Representing Trump, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington’s efforts to rebalance trade were aimed at ensuring “fair and reciprocal” terms, and at creating more resilient production networks that reduce dependence on vulnerable sectors. Xi’s Diplomatic Meetings The summit marked Xi’s first visit to South Korea in 11 years. On the sidelines, he met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. During talks with Takaichi, Xi called for a “constructive and stable relationship for a new era,” while Takaichi expressed hopes of addressing bilateral issues and building a stronger personal rapport with Xi. Xi is also expected to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday, with discussions likely to include North Korea’s nuclear program. APEC’s Growing Challenges Founded in 1989 to promote free and open trade across the Asia-Pacific, APEC now faces mounting challenges, including U.S.-China rivalry, supply chain disruptions, aging populations, and the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. Under Trump, Washington has shifted from cooperation to competition with Beijing, with tariff hikes and an “America First” agenda unsettling global markets and challenging decades of globalization. Read more: WHO: Militia Assault on Darfur hospital came in multiple waves Opening the summit, host President Lee urged members to focus on solidarity and shared prosperity. “We may not always stand on the same side, but we can unite around our common goal of mutual growth,” he said. Canada’s Carney echoed that sentiment, announcing plans to double his country’s non-U.S. exports within a decade, citing “one of the most profound global shifts since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” Despite the positive tone after Trump and Xi’s meeting, experts warn that tensions could flare again as both nations vie for dominance in manufacturing and emerging technologies like AI. “Bringing the two largest economies together to ease tariff and export disputes helped avert the worst outcomes for global trade,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor at Ewha Womans University. “But APEC should be more than a platform for trade truces — it must advance cooperation on sustainable and digital trade.” South Korea Seeks Consensus As host, South Korea is pushing for all 21 member economies to adopt a joint statement — a goal that eluded APEC in 2018 due to U.S.-China friction. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun recently said that while a strong pro–free trade statement may be difficult, Seoul hopes for a broader declaration highlighting regional peace and prosperity. This year’s agenda also prioritizes collaboration on artificial intelligence and demographic challenges. Read more: Have deep relations with US, extensive economic ties with China: Touhid Hossain

Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Tuesday said there is nothing for anyone to worry about regarding Dhaka’s engagement with Beijing, stressing that Bangladesh maintains a balanced approach in its relations with other countries. “I don’t think there is any reason for concern, since we have maintained a balance. There is nothing for anyone to worry about,” he said when a journalist asked for his comments on concerns expressed by a third country about Bangladesh’s engagement with China. Talking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hossain said Bangladesh maintains a balanced policy in its relations with other countries and that there is no question of avoiding relations with any particular nation. “We have deep relations with the United States and extensive economic relations with China,” said the Foreign Affairs Adviser, expressing confidence that Bangladesh will continue to uphold this balanced approach. Hossain also said he believes that future governments will continue to follow this policy. Govt considers HR issues but won’t accept all foreign recommendations: Foreign Adviser Touhid Brent Christensen, nominee for US Ambassador to Bangladesh, on Thursday said if confirmed, he would engage with the Bangladesh government and military to “clearly articulate the risks from Chinese activity, involvement with their military activities in the maritime domain and in their critical infrastructure, as well as highlight the opportunities and benefits that come with a closer partnership with the United States, especially military-to-military. "The United States supports Bangladesh in its journey toward a bright and democratic future," he told the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in his opening statement during his nomination hearing. If confirmed, Christensen said, he looks forward to leading the Embassy Dhaka team to build strong ties with both the current interim government and its democratically elected successor to advance the US- Bangladesh relationship. Meeting between Touhid Hossain and Pakistan’s Ishaq Dar underway Responding to another question, Hossain said, “I think Bangladesh receives significant attention in the international arena compared to its size and strength.” “Those who are bigger and stronger than us naturally have greater visibility. But considering our economic and political position, our visibility is not small - we are maintaining our presence everywhere,” he added.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has said Bangladesh and China will move forward hand in hand to advance their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, bringing peace, prosperity and happiness to the people of both countries and the world. In a video message on Wednesday night marking two occasions, Prof Yunus reviewed the development of bilateral relations over the past 50 years, stating that China is Bangladesh's closest friend and most reliable partner. Extending warm congratulations on the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic ties, he expressed gratitude for China's long-standing trust, assistance, and support for Bangladesh. He spoke highly of the remarkable achievements made by China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China in areas such as economic development, technological innovation, poverty alleviation, and serving the people, as well as its inspiration and contributions to the Global South and the international community.

President Donald Trump on Saturday called on NATO countries to stop buying Russian oil and warned of imposing tariffs of 50% to 100% on China over its continued purchases of Russian petroleum. In a post on his social media platform, Trump said NATO’s commitment to the Ukraine war has been “far less than 100%,” describing the purchase of Russian oil by some alliance members as “shocking.” Addressing NATO members, he wrote: “It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia.” Since 2023, Turkey has been the third-largest buyer of Russian oil, after China and India, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Other NATO members, including Hungary and Slovakia, also continue to import Russian oil. It remains unclear whether Trump intends to confront Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán directly. Trump’s comments came after multiple Russian drones entered Polish airspace on Wednesday, a NATO ally. Poland shot down the drones, but Trump downplayed the incursion, suggesting it “could have been a mistake.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, called the drone incident “unacceptable and dangerous,” though he said it was still unclear whether Russia deliberately targeted Poland. Trump calls 50% India tariffs a big deal, says it caused a rift with India While Trump has repeatedly pledged to end the war swiftly, critics say he has avoided pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin. His recent meeting with Putin in Alaska produced little progress toward peace. Meanwhile, Congress is pressing him to support a bill toughening sanctions against Moscow. The U.S. and its allies are moving to show firmer resolve. At an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on Friday, acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea reaffirmed that Washington “will defend every inch of NATO territory,” calling the drone incursion “a sign of immense disrespect” for U.S.-led peace efforts. Britain on Friday also banned 70 vessels linked to Russian oil trade and sanctioned 30 individuals and companies, including Chinese and Turkish businesses accused of supplying Russia with weapons components. Trump argued that a NATO-wide ban on Russian oil, combined with heavy tariffs on China, would be a decisive step. “China has a strong grip over Russia, and powerful tariffs will break that grip,” he wrote, adding that tariffs could be withdrawn once the war ends. The U.S. president has already imposed a 25% import tax on Indian goods tied to Russian energy purchases, raising the overall tariff to 50%. Still, Trump has indicated a willingness to negotiate with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tensions with China remain high. Earlier this year, Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese goods prompted Beijing to retaliate with 125% tariffs on U.S. exports, effectively freezing trade between the world’s two largest economies. Subsequent negotiations lowered U.S. tariffs to 30% and China’s to 10%. In his latest post, Trump blamed the war on his predecessor Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while notably excluding Putin. His remarks followed a call with Group of Seven finance ministers on Friday, during which U.S. officials urged their counterparts to cut off revenues funding Russia’s war effort.

Describing China as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Friday said they must identify which intermediate industrial products can be manufactured in Bangladesh today, as this will strengthen the competitiveness of their industrial sector. "Bangladesh imports goods worth over $22 billion from China. Unfortunately, our exports come nowhere close to matching our imports from China. China is one of the most competitive sources for our imports," he said at the event in the capital. The adviser said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has taken many initiatives to diversify the export potential, including promoting exports like mangoes, but they still have much more to do. The adviser also emphasised fostering trade and investment between the two countries, and sought collective efforts. In order to comprehensively showcase the achievements of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation between Bangladesh and China, the second edition of the exhibition was inaugurated at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB). The Commerce Adviser inaugurated the two-day exhibition while Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, Power, Energy and Mineral Additional Secretary Md Sobur Hossain, Additional Secretary & Wing Chief Economic Relation Division of Finance Ministry Mirana Mahrukh, and president of Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh (CEAB) Han Kun, among others, were also present. Bashir Uddin said the road safety situation in Bangladesh is extremely alarming and the number of people who die on roads every year is staggering and they all feel very unsafe because of the highly unsafe commercial vehicles in the country. “We really need to improve this situation, and China can help us a lot in this regard. I was suggesting—why don’t some good Chinese companies come to Bangladesh and manufacture quality trucks? We have a large market. So, we need to utilize all the components of our nearly half-a-trillion-dollar economy and turn it into a one-trillion-dollar economy as soon as possible,” he said. Chinese Ambassador Yao said Bangladesh is the first country among the south Asian countries who responded to the BRI and it makes a new dimension. China rolls out 2-year plan to boost power equipment sector “China has taken economic and socio-economic development initiatives over the past 50 years. During the interim government, China has become a largest source of investment in Bangladesh. In the first half of this year, China's investment in Bangladesh increased by 254.3% since August last year,” he said. China is ready to cooperate with Bangladesh in trade and investment, he added. Md Sobur Hossain urged Chinese investors to invest in the renewable energy sector in Bangladesh and take its opportunity. Mirana Mahrukh said Bangladesh wants to strengthen the existing relationship with China. “We are committed to building a discrimination free Bangladesh. So, we need cooperation” she added. A total of 80 booths from 40 companies took part in the exhibition. Of this, 32 Chinese companies attended there. This international exhibition aims to boost Bangladesh–China cooperation in key sectors such as infrastructure, technology, energy, healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing. It features high-level B2B and G2B networking, and insightful seminars on trade, investment, and innovation.

Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman left for China on a four-day state visit on Thursday morning. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) release, the Army Chief will hold courtesy meetings with senior civilian and military officials of China and exchange views aimed at strengthening bilateral military cooperation. Army working impartially, professionally to improve law, order: Gen Waker-uz-Zaman General Waker is scheduled to return home on August 27.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit China for the first time in more than seven years, according to a government source, marking a step toward improving diplomatic relations with Beijing amid growing tensions with the United States. Modi’s visit comes as India faces its most significant strain in ties with the US in years. The crisis follows President Donald Trump’s decision to impose the highest tariffs among Asian nations on Indian imports, along with an executive order that places an additional 25 percent tariff on India in response to its continued imports of Russian oil. Modi will travel to the Chinese city of Tianjin to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional political and security bloc that includes Russia. This will be his first visit to China since June 2018. India-China relations soured significantly after a deadly military confrontation along their contested Himalayan border in 2020. However, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held discussions on the sidelines of a BRICS summit in Russia in October, which marked the beginning of a diplomatic thaw. The two major Asian powers are gradually easing tensions that had disrupted business and travel links. India slams U.S. tariffs over Russian oil imports as 'unfair, unjustified' At the same time, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is currently in Russia on a planned visit, where he is expected to address issues related to India’s purchases of Russian oil amid US pressure to stop those transactions, according to another government source who requested anonymity. Doval is also likely to discuss ongoing defence cooperation with Moscow, including efforts to expedite pending exports of Russia’s S-400 air defence systems to India, as well as a potential visit to India by President Vladimir Putin. His visit will be followed in the coming weeks by a trip from Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Officials from both India and the US said that a combination of political miscalculations, missed signals, and growing resentment derailed trade negotiations between the world’s first and fifth-largest economies, whose bilateral trade exceeds $190 billion. India braces for 50% tariffs as Trump announces additional 25% import tax According to four separate sources citing an internal government analysis, India fears that Trump’s actions could undermine its competitiveness in roughly $64 billion worth of exports to the US, which represent 80 percent of its total shipments to the American market. Nonetheless, with exports forming only a modest portion of India’s $4 trillion economy, the overall impact on economic growth is expected to be limited. Source: Agency

China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Friday that dialogue and cooperation remain the correct path forward, in response to the US lifting a series of economic and trade restrictions on China. A ministry spokesperson addressed media enquiries regarding recent reports that certain Chinese companies received notices from the US Department of Commerce concerning the resumption of exports to China of products such as electronic design automation software, ethane, and aircraft engines. The spokesperson confirmed that, following the recent China–US economic and trade talks in London, both sides had finalised the implementation details to carry out the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their phone conversations on 5 June, as well as to solidify the outcomes of the Geneva talks. China successfully launches new test satellite As part of this process, China is reviewing applications for export licences of eligible controlled items in accordance with laws and regulations, while the US has taken corresponding steps to eliminate certain restrictive measures and has informed the Chinese side of these moves. Describing the framework established during the London talks as "hard-won," the spokesperson emphasised that dialogue and cooperation are the right approach, while threats and coercion "lead nowhere." China opposes trade deals that undermine its interests, says Commerce Ministry The spokesperson called on the US to fully recognise the mutually beneficial nature of China–US economic and trade relations, to continue engaging with China constructively, and to correct its mistaken practices. This, the spokesperson said, is essential for jointly implementing the important consensus reached by the two leaders and promoting the stable, long-term development of bilateral economic and trade ties. China, EU aim to deepen cooperation on global issues

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) on Monday launched the Private Enterprise Innovation and Development Joint Fund, aimed at enabling private companies to formally participate in national basic research efforts. Under the new initiative, private enterprises will identify key research challenges based on their specific innovation requirements, while the joint fund will support leading researchers from across the country to address these critical problems. NSFC Director Dou Xiankang said the fund is intended to leverage the NSFC's guiding role by encouraging innovation-driven private companies to increase their investment in foundational research. Chinese scientists unveil new anti-tumour immune mechanism The initiative will focus on concentrating China's top scientific resources to address core scientific challenges in key technological areas. It will emphasize basic and applied basic research that aligns closely with urgent national economic and social development priorities. According to the NSFC, this approach is designed to deepen the integration of technological and industrial innovation, stimulate private sector innovation, and inject new momentum into China's innovation-driven development strategy. The fund's inaugural partners include four leading pharmaceutical companies: Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, Mindray Bio-Medical, Singclean Medical, and Qilu Pharmaceutical. The NSFC said it plans to maximize the fund's role in guiding research, attracting top scientific talent from across society to strengthen basic research in the medical sector and jointly advance breakthroughs in independent innovation. Source: Xinhua