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China has expressed its interest to set up a deep seaport in Bangladesh and invest in other infrastructural projects in the country for ensuring better connectivity, Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Zhang Xianyi said Tuesday.
"Two Chinese companies have expressed their willingness to develop the port at Sonadia. Now the ball is in Bangladesh's court to make a response in this regard," he said at a roundtable in the city.
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised the roundtable on Bangladesh-China bilateral relations at its conference room, with BIISS director general Maj Gen Muhammad Imrul Quayes in the chair.
Professor of Dhaka University's International Relations Department Ruksana Kibria, BIISS senior research fellow Dr Mahfuz Kabir, and political counsellor of Chinese Embassy Yang Zhaohui presented three papers in the roundtable.
The topics of the papers were the Political Dimension of China-Bangladesh Bilateral Relations, Bangladesh-China Economic Relations: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities, and China Perspective for Political and Economic Development of Bangladesh.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua addressed the programme as the chief guest, while the Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka was the special guest.
The industries minister said, "Over the years, relations between the two countries have grown stronger, centring trade, military and civilian aids. We must deepen the mutual understanding and trust through all kinds of exchanges along with direct contacts and dialogue between the people of the two countries."
Barua said Bangladesh is trying to attract increased investment from China apart from strengthening commerce and trade ties.
"Cultural and educational exchanges and increased cooperation in human resources development and training should also be expanded," he added.
About the deep seaport, the Chinese envoy also said, "We have some 20 seaports in China and have long experience in constructing deep seaports."
"We recently came to know that Bangladesh wants to develop the proposed seaport under public private partnership (PPP), and we are interested to build it under build-operate-transfer (BOT) or build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) system," he said.
The ambassador also said China wants to invest in natural resources development in Bangladesh to explore and extract gas, coal or other resources, as it also has expertise on the sector
"Now we have some cooperation with the state-run BAPEX, but we don't have any opportunity to explore mineral resources here, and we want it in a greater form in the future."
.
Zhang Xianyi said China believes in connectivity with countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh for boosting trade and investment.
The Chinese envoy said his country is exploring the possibilities of developing road network in Myanmar. After the planned developments are completed there, Bangladesh can join the tri-nation connectivity. "We are positive about the three-nation connectivity."
He said China is the only country among the five super-powers at the United Nations to declare that it would not use nuclear weapons first or not against any country which does not have nuclear weapons.
Zhang said China will, as always, continue to pursue a foreign policy of building good relationship and partnership with its neighbouring countries.
"China will unswervingly pursue a path of peaceful development, and it will never seek for regional hegemony or creating sphere of influence. China's prosperity, development and long-term stability present an opportunity rather than a threat to its neighbours," he added.
He also said ties between the Chinese and the Bengali people exist for over 2,400 years, laying a solid foundation for the friendship between two countries.
Zhang Xianyi assured that China will continue to intensify all-round cooperation with Bangladesh to bring the 'closer comprehensive partnership of cooperation' to a new height, and thus benefit the people of the two countries.
He also said China will set up a cultural centre in Bangladesh to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
Experts from different sectors, including former state minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury, the Daily Sun Editor Dr Syed Anwar Hossain, Dhaka University Professor Dr Mahbubullah, former ambassador Humayun Kabir, Anwarul Masud, and former commerce secretary Sohel A Chowdhury took part in the roundtable.
"Two Chinese companies have expressed their willingness to develop the port at Sonadia. Now the ball is in Bangladesh's court to make a response in this regard," he said at a roundtable in the city.
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised the roundtable on Bangladesh-China bilateral relations at its conference room, with BIISS director general Maj Gen Muhammad Imrul Quayes in the chair.
Professor of Dhaka University's International Relations Department Ruksana Kibria, BIISS senior research fellow Dr Mahfuz Kabir, and political counsellor of Chinese Embassy Yang Zhaohui presented three papers in the roundtable.
The topics of the papers were the Political Dimension of China-Bangladesh Bilateral Relations, Bangladesh-China Economic Relations: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities, and China Perspective for Political and Economic Development of Bangladesh.
Industries Minister Dilip Barua addressed the programme as the chief guest, while the Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka was the special guest.
The industries minister said, "Over the years, relations between the two countries have grown stronger, centring trade, military and civilian aids. We must deepen the mutual understanding and trust through all kinds of exchanges along with direct contacts and dialogue between the people of the two countries."
Barua said Bangladesh is trying to attract increased investment from China apart from strengthening commerce and trade ties.
"Cultural and educational exchanges and increased cooperation in human resources development and training should also be expanded," he added.
About the deep seaport, the Chinese envoy also said, "We have some 20 seaports in China and have long experience in constructing deep seaports."
"We recently came to know that Bangladesh wants to develop the proposed seaport under public private partnership (PPP), and we are interested to build it under build-operate-transfer (BOT) or build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) system," he said.
The ambassador also said China wants to invest in natural resources development in Bangladesh to explore and extract gas, coal or other resources, as it also has expertise on the sector
"Now we have some cooperation with the state-run BAPEX, but we don't have any opportunity to explore mineral resources here, and we want it in a greater form in the future."
.
Zhang Xianyi said China believes in connectivity with countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh for boosting trade and investment.
The Chinese envoy said his country is exploring the possibilities of developing road network in Myanmar. After the planned developments are completed there, Bangladesh can join the tri-nation connectivity. "We are positive about the three-nation connectivity."
He said China is the only country among the five super-powers at the United Nations to declare that it would not use nuclear weapons first or not against any country which does not have nuclear weapons.
Zhang said China will, as always, continue to pursue a foreign policy of building good relationship and partnership with its neighbouring countries.
"China will unswervingly pursue a path of peaceful development, and it will never seek for regional hegemony or creating sphere of influence. China's prosperity, development and long-term stability present an opportunity rather than a threat to its neighbours," he added.
He also said ties between the Chinese and the Bengali people exist for over 2,400 years, laying a solid foundation for the friendship between two countries.
Zhang Xianyi assured that China will continue to intensify all-round cooperation with Bangladesh to bring the 'closer comprehensive partnership of cooperation' to a new height, and thus benefit the people of the two countries.
He also said China will set up a cultural centre in Bangladesh to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries.
Experts from different sectors, including former state minister Abul Hasan Chowdhury, the Daily Sun Editor Dr Syed Anwar Hossain, Dhaka University Professor Dr Mahbubullah, former ambassador Humayun Kabir, Anwarul Masud, and former commerce secretary Sohel A Chowdhury took part in the roundtable.
