China has sought “opinions and advice” from Bangladesh to implement its economic corridor initiative connecting the region.
Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese embassy in Dhaka Qu Guangzhou said the initiative called “one belt and one road” would not be a business for China only.
“It is a cause shared by all of us,” he said on Monday speaking at a celebration marking the 65th founding anniversary in Dhaka.
China celebrates the founding day on Oct 1 when the People’s Republic of China was born in 1949.
Since the founding of new China in 1949 and particularly after the reforms and opening up policies 36 years ago, Beijing has created an economic miracle maintaining 10 percent economic growth rate for the last three decades.
Now China is the second largest economy in the world.
Monday’s celebrations in Dhaka brought together several hundred guests that included ministers, politicians of different parties including ruling Awami League and the opposition BNP, businessman, teachers, as well as journalists.
The Charge d’Affaires said the new Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled “the great Chinese dream” soon after assuming office.
“It is a dream for peace, harmony, development, co-existence, and cooperation, instead of dream of regaining its predominant position in Asia as it was in imperial time,” he said.
In this context, he said, China proposed the economic corridor initiative along the Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road of the 21st century.
“So far, many countries have expressed strong interest and indicated their readiness to work together with China on ‘One Belt and One Road’ initiative.
“We welcome your kind opinions and advice in this regard,” he said.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed speaking at the celebration expressed Bangladesh’s readiness to help China out.
“We are trying our best to have the economic corridor in the name of BCIM (Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar). If we can establish the corridor, connectivity will be there. Trade will increase tremendously,” he said.
China established diplomatic relations with Bangladesh in 1975. Next year, both countries would jointly celebrate the 40 years of bonhomie with year-long programmes.
The two-way trade between two countries had crossed $10 billion in 2013.
The Charge d’Affaires said the friendship between China and Bangladesh had developed into a “full-fledged” one, particularly after the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this June.
He said Hasina pushed the relations to “a new height”.
The envoy said China valued South Asia and during his just-concluded visit to India, the president announced that in the next five years China would invest up to $30 billion and provide concessional loans of $20 billion to South Asia.
He said China was also ready to finance 25,000 people from this region with scholarships, trainings and many other ways.
“As an important member of South Asia, Bangladesh will surely benefit from those initiatives,” he said.
Source: Bd news24
