Potential of China-Bangladesh Relations Is Unlimited: Envoy

The newly-appointed Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka Yao Wen has said China and Bangladesh are "natural cooperation" partners while potential of Dhaka-Beijing ties is "unlimited".

"The potential of China-Bangladesh relations is unlimited," he said at a welcome reception in honor of him held at the Chinese Embassy here on Monday evening, reports BSS.

The envoy said China and Bangladesh are natural cooperation partners as both are the developing countries with a huge population.

"There is no unresolved dispute or historical burden between us," the new ambassador claimed.

Wen said that China and Bangladesh would also closely cooperate and coordinate on regional and multilateral affairs, so as to inject more stability and certainty into this uncertain and unstable world.

The cooperation on economy, trade and mega projects serves as the pillar of the bilateral relations between Dhaka and Beijing, he said, adding: "China- Bangladesh cooperation improves well-beings of our two peoples."

The envoy said a good number of roads, bridges, power plants, ports and other infrastructure projects have been completed, which have reshaped the landscape of Bangladesh, provided more than one million job opportunities, and promoted socio-economic development as well as people's livelihood in Bangladesh.

He said China has embarked on a new journey towards a modern socialist country in all respects while Bangladesh is striving with no effort spared for the splendid dream of "Sonar Bangla" by working on the country's Vision 2041.

The ambassador hoped that China-Bangladesh relations will set a good example for developing countries to understand, trust and support each other.

"As close neighbors, the people of the two countries enjoy a natural sense of intimacy and similar ideas and values," he added.

In the 1950s, the envoy noted that the founding father of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman visited China twice.

"He was so much impressed by what he witnessed in the journey and wrote a travelogue entitled "New China as I saw", which infuses his kind and warm feeling towards China deep in the minds and hearts of Bangladeshi people," said the ambassador.

Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman, Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed and Secretary (West) of foreign ministry Shabbir Ahmad graced the reception.

More than 400 dignitaries from the Bangladeshi government, army, political parties, enterprises, universities, think tanks, media houses, foreign missions in Dhaka and the local Chinese community attended the event.

"It is expected that, under the guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, China and Bangladesh will continue developing the healthy and stable bilateral relations, promote China-Bangladesh practical cooperation to a new level, and jointly set an example of friendly relations among the developing countries," said a press release issued by the Chinese Embassy after the reception.