Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Thursday stated that China is determined to build an economic corridor with Bangladesh and Myanmar, highlighting the critical importance of regional connectivity while stressing that they remain open to other nations joining the initiative.
"This cooperation is not the end of the game. We are open, and we welcome other countries if they are ready to join. But it is up to them to decide whether they want to be part of it or whether they prefer to wait and see. China is determined to work with Bangladesh and Myanmar to build the economic corridor," Ambassador Yao remarked during a media briefing held at the Embassy of China.
His comments came after his attention was drawn to a corridor originally conceived in 1999 as the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor under the BCIM Forum.
He noted that while the original BCIM concept saw no progress, the proposed China-Bangladesh-Myanmar Economic Corridor now offers a new strategic opportunity, adding, "I believe Myanmar also wants to have this sort of cooperation and our three countries can construct this connectivity."
The briefing, which was also attended by Director at the Embassy Zhang Jing and Counselor Song Yang, described the recent visit of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to China as a "complete success." Ambassador Yao declared the tour a milestone in Bangladesh-China relations that has reached a new strategic height.
He emphasized that the visit has injected strong momentum into the future development of bilateral relations and created a new level of trust between the two countries.
During the premier's just-concluded visit, both sides explored new options for regional connectivity, including direct links between Bangladesh and China, alongside multimodal transport links from Kunming to Bangladeshi ports.
"We believe these initiatives will open up new strategic opportunities for Bangladesh's economic development," the envoy stated.
Addressing the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP), which stood out as one of the most closely watched issues of the tour due to the millions of livelihoods involved, the Ambassador stated, "Teesta is a Bangladesh project. It's your project."
He shared that the Prime Minister had in-depth exchanges on water resources cooperation with Chinese Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying.
Ambassador Yao explicitly reaffirmed that China's commitment to the Teesta river project remains unchanged and that Beijing will continue to provide support and assistance within its capacity, including supporting experts from both countries to expedite the feasibility study.
He stated, "We will also enhance capacity building and personnel training in the water sector. Let me make one point very clear. China's commitment to the Teesta river project remains unchanged."
He added that China stands ready to strengthen practical cooperation with Bangladesh in water resources planning, river management, flood prevention, and disaster reduction.
Detailing the key political achievements of the trip, the envoy highlighted the launch of a strategic dialogue at the foreign minister level and the exploration of a "2+2" dialogue mechanism covering diplomacy and defence.
"We also agreed to establish a strategic dialogue mechanism between the two foreign ministers and explore a '2+2' dialogue mechanism on diplomacy and defense," he said, noting that these arrangements will provide a stronger and more stable platform for strategic communication.
Commenting on defence cooperation, Yao Wen specified that it is a standard component of their comprehensive bilateral relationship, though he declined to comment on any specific defence purchases.
The two nations agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, enhance mutual learning on governance, and strengthen cooperation between governments, legislative bodies, and political parties.
Assuring Dhaka of long-term diplomatic stability, the Ambassador noted that China has all along attached great importance to the development of these relations and stayed true to the policy of good-neighborliness and friendship toward all the people of Bangladesh.
He stated, "No matter how the world changes, China will not waver in its commitment to the overall direction of China-Bangladesh friendly relations, and will always be a trustworthy good friend, good neighbor and good partner of Bangladesh."
Ambassador Yao also welcomed Bangladesh's participation in the group of friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and expressed readiness to advance the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) promoting its implementation.
The GDI addresses key global development challenges by focusing on humanity’s shared development needs and aligning with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
According to the envoy, the most significant outcome of the visit was the decision to elevate the Bangladesh-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership to jointly build a "China-Bangladesh Community with a Shared Future in the New Era," representing the highest level of China's relations with its friendly Asian neighbors.
This official trip marked the Prime Minister's first visit to China since taking office and served as the first formal meeting between the leaders of the two countries since the formation of the new government in Bangladesh.
"The leaders of the two countries had candid and productive discussions. They reached important new consensus and sent a clear message of stronger communication, deeper mutual trust and closer cooperation," Ambassador Yao said.
Looking forward, the envoy concluded that the visit has opened a new chapter in Bangladesh-China friendship as the two nations embark on their next golden fifty years of bilateral relations.
He noted that China stands ready to fully implement the consensus reached by the leaders to translate these outcomes into tangible results and stronger economic and social momentum for the benefit of both peoples.
To formalize these advancements, Bangladesh and China signed 17 bilateral instruments, including various MoUs, agreements, a joint action plan, and an agricultural trade protocol.
Notably, these instruments included the MoU on promoting the implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) alongside another separate MoU focused on exchanges and cooperation between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Communist Party of China.
With Inputs from UNB
