The Ambassador of China to Bangladesh H.E. Mr. Yao Wen paid his maiden call on the Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud at the latter’s office in MoFA today.
Ambassador Wen congratulated the HFM for being the new Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. He appreciates the impressive socio-economic development that Bangladesh has achieved in the last one-and-a-half decades. He congratulated all concerned in Bangladesh for holding the free, fair, and festive national elections recently. China reiterated its position to further strengthen the bilateral relations during the new tenure of the government in Bangladesh.
HFM thanked the Ambassador for the Letters of Congratulations that the President and the Premier of China have sent to the HPM as well as the Letter of Congratulation that the Hon’ble Foreign Minister of China has sent to him for assuming the charge in respective offices. HFM expressed his satisfaction with the existing development cooperation between Bangladesh and China and hoped the engagements will further increase to bring mutual benefit to the peoples. He stressed the need for more people-to-people connectivity between the two countries. He also referred to the existing trade deficit and requested China’s further imports from Bangladesh.
Ambassador Wen informed that China is taking necessary actions to import more from Bangladesh, especially the items like jute and jute goods, leather, meat, and sea-food. China is also expecting to complete its internal process to start importing Bangladeshi mangoes by the 2nd half of this year.
HFM appreciates the progress in Free Trade Agreement(FTA) negotiations between Bangladesh and China and hopes that it will be finalized by 2026 before the graduation of Bangladesh from the LDC category. HFM also acknowledged China’s contribution to vaccine support for Bangladesh during the Covid-19 pandemic.
HFM thanked China for helping with the process of repatriating the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals from Bangladesh to their home in Myanmar. Ambassador Wen reiterated China’s stance that repatriation is the only means to have a sustainable solution to the crisis and China is working with all the stakeholders to that end.