International Desk: Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, has said that the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and China are entering a new era. He expressed hope that more and more Chinese investors will come to Bangladesh in the coming days and build a big market together with local partners.
In an exclusive interview with China’s state news agency Xinhua, Dr. Yunus said that it is very important to see China as our good friend. Our relationship has been very strong over the past few decades. Our trade relations are strong and we are benefiting greatly from cooperation with China.
He added that everyone in Bangladesh is inspired by China’s unprecedented development and progress. The main goal of our interim government is to build a new Bangladesh, where we want to learn from China’s development experience.
Specially praising China’s success in poverty alleviation, the Chief Advisor said that most countries only focus on increasing GDP, but China has worked directly to meet the basic needs of low-income people. That is why they have achieved unprecedented success in poverty alleviation in record time.
Over the past 15 years, China has emerged as Bangladesh’s largest trading partner. Currently, about 1,000 Chinese companies are actively conducting business in Bangladesh, which has directly and indirectly created employment for more than 550,000 Bangladeshis.
Dr. Yunus mentioned that the majority of products used in Bangladesh’s industrial sector come from China. Our imports are continuously increasing and this cooperation is beneficial for both countries.
Recently, the first batch of Bangladeshi patients, doctors and travel agents went to Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, to receive medical services. Professor Yunus said that we can learn a lot from China’s advanced health system. Building a thriving health sector in Bangladesh is also our priority.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations, which has also been declared as the ‘Bangladesh-China Public Relations Year’. Dr. Yunus recalled the thousand-year Buddhist cultural bond, saying that in the seventh century, the Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang came to Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi Buddhist scholar Atish Dipankar played an important role in promoting Buddhism in China. This historical bond has further strengthened the foundation of our relationship.
Outlining the future cooperation, the Nobel laureate economist said, “We do not just want to build a fast-growing economy, but we want to create an inclusive economic model where everyone can participate.”
He added, “Our cooperation will not be limited to the economic sector now, but will expand to the cultural, educational and technological sectors. The last 50 years have been wonderful. But I believe the next 50 years will be even more promising.”
Experts believe that this new chapter in Bangladesh-China relations will bring prosperity to the people of both countries. The combination of China’s vast market, technological expertise and Bangladesh’s growing economy and youth power can make this relationship a model partnership in Asia. This announcement by Chief Advisor Yunus signals a deepening of Bangladesh’s foreign policy towards China.
Source: Xinhua
Views: 1
