Hospitals to be designated for Bangladeshi patients in Kunming
Bangladesh in a bilateral meeting in Beijing on Tuesday requested China to reduce interest rate from 2-3 per cent to 1 per cent, waive commitment fee and extend loan repayment period from 20 years to 30 years for both preferential buyer鈥檚 credit and government concessional loans.
Bangladesh foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi held the bilateral talks in the morning at the Diaoyuitai State Guest House in the capital of China where they reaffirmed their commitment to 鈥楥omprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership鈥�.
The two countries also signed renewal of the 鈥楨xchange of Hydrological Information Sharing of the Yaluzangbu-Jamuna River鈥�, said a foreign ministry press release issued from Dhaka later on the day.
Upon Bangladesh鈥檚 request, foreign minister Yi conveyed China鈥檚 decision to especially designate 3 to 4 recognised hospitals in Kunming for treatment of Bangladeshi patients, it mentioned.
He also welcomed Bangladesh鈥檚 proposal of establishing a specialised tertiary level Chinese hospital in Dhaka as a gesture of goodwill on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-China diplomatic relations.
鈥楶raising Bangladesh鈥檚 good track record in loan repayment, foreign minister Yi agreed in principle to extend the loan repayment period and assured to look into the request of the interest rate reduction,鈥� the release said.
Touhid also requested to waive the commitment fee and management fee for Chinese loans to Bangladesh.
Wang Yi reaffirmed that China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bangladesh and reiterated continued Chinese support for the stability, reforms, democratic transition, and development initiatives of Bangladesh, according to the release.
Touhid Hossain left Dhaka on Monday for a five-day official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese foreign minister. This is his first visit to China as the foreign adviser to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government formed following the fall of Sheikh Hasina amid a mass uprising on August 5, 2024.
Senior officials from the commerce and water resources ministries and the Economic Relations Division are accompanying the foreign adviser during his visit to China.
The talks covered a wide range of topics, including development cooperation, trade and investment, infrastructure development, sectoral cooperation and people to people exchanges.
Both the sides expressed their commitment to deepening collaboration in areas of mutual interest and leveraging opportunities for shared prosperity, according to the foreign ministry release.
During the talks, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi mentioned that the people of Bangladesh had given important responsibility to Yunus who has dedicated himself to maintaining civility and unity of the country, and his government has done many tangible good things for Bangladesh, said the release.
鈥楥hina would continue supporting projects conducive to the livelihood of the people of Bangladesh,鈥� the Chinese foreign minister was quoted to have told the meeting.
Touhid emphasised that his first bilateral visit to China reflected Bangladesh鈥檚 strong intent to engage with China in a robust partnership to give the relationship a new momentum.
He reiterated Bangladesh鈥檚 firm commitment to 鈥極ne China Principle鈥�.
Touhid, also a former diplomat, mentioned that the July-August 2024 movement in Bangladesh gave an opportunity to rebuild the nation on the principles of equality, non-discrimination, corruption-free system and equal access to resources for all.
The Chinese foreign minister also gave positive responses to consider Bangladesh鈥檚 requests for financial, technical and capacity building cooperation and support in sectors such as education, railways, agriculture, water resource management, livestock, fisheries, shipbreaking, sustainable and renewable energy and blue economy.
Both the sides emphasised continued cooperation under China鈥檚 Belt and Road Initiative.
They also expressed their willingness to work closely on proposed China-funded projects namely Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant, Upgradation and Modernisation of Mongla Port, Establishing Digital Connectivity and 4G Expansion.
Both the leaders discussed the Rohingya crisis and reaffirmed their shared commitment to working on a roadmap to finding a durable solution to the issue.
Wang Yi reassured China鈥檚 continued engagement with Myanmar to address the situation and promote regional stability.
He also requested Bangladesh to consider joining Chinese president Xi Jinping鈥檚 global initiatives.
Touhid extended invitation to his counterpart Wang Yi to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.
A Finance Division鈥檚 debt bulletin issued in August 2024 showed that the government outstanding debt to China crossed $5.5 billion, the third highest with the bilateral lenders after Japan and Russia.
Bangladesh government鈥檚 external debt reached $84.4 billion in the first quarter of the 2024-25 financial year from $82.82 billion from the last quarter of FY24, according to Bangladesh Bank.
Economic Relations Division officials said that loans worth $4 billion had been disbursed so far by China against a commitment of $7 billion as disclosed in August.
