By Sun Haoran
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is paying an official visit to Beijing from Wednesday to Saturday, which is expected to bolster ties with China, Bangladesh-based newspaper the Daily Observer reported on Wednesday.
Chinese leaders are scheduled to meet with Hasina, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said last week.
“Economic and trade issues will be the main agenda [items] during Hasina’s visit this time, particularly China-Bangladesh cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” Zhang Jian, a research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Security and Cooperation Studies of China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
“Chinese companies are now helping build Bangladesh’s bridges, roads, power stations, and water and waste treatment facilities to foster the country’s economic development,” said Zhang.
Before arriving in Beijing, Hasina attended the 13th World Economic Forum’s summer session held in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, from Monday to Wednesday.
Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has said trade, commerce and investment issues will come across the table during high profile talks as Bangladesh is in need of more Chinese support specially for its economic development which has been bolstered by a number of mega Belt and Road Initiative projects in recent years, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday.
“The two sides may also talk about the issue regarding Rohingya people between Bangladesh and Myanmar, which Bangladesh hopes China’s mediation to settle the crisis,” Zhang said.
“We hope Rohingya issue will get prominence during her visit. We have high hopes to see progress in this regard,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said at a press briefing at his ministry Friday before Hasina’s China trip, Bangladesh-based newspaper the Daily Star reported on Saturday.
“China is willing to actively play a constructive role in this issue to make contributions to maintaining the stability and peace of the region,” Zhang noted.
