Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Thursday said his country is not involved in the issue of humanitarian corridor through Bangladesh to the Rakhine State, initiated by the United Nations, to provide assistance to the conflict zone of Myanmar.
He, however, said that China would not give up its efforts for the repatriation of Rohingyas as more than 12 lakh forcibly displaced people from Myanmar are聽 sheltered in Bangladesh camps.
鈥楥hina is not involved in the issue of humanitarian corridor. It is something initiated by the UN agency to provide assistance to the Rakhine State for the affected people in the conflict. China also believes in sovereignty of a country. We do not interfere in internal affairs of any country,鈥� said the Chinese envoy responding to a question at the country lecture on 鈥楩ive Decades of Bangladesh-China Relations: Towards a New Height鈥�.
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies organised the event at its auditorium in the capital city.
Former Dhaka University international relations professor Imtiaz Ahmed delivered the keynote speech on the topic while BIISS chair AFM Gousal Azam Sarker moderated the discussion.
Professor Imtiaz proposed that Bangladesh could go for bilateral or tripartite engagements with China and India or for a development consortium, involving India, China and Japan and other countries, to implement the much-talked-about 鈥楾eesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project鈥�.
Responding to a question, the Chinese ambassador said that China is ready to offer help and it is now up to Bangladesh to decide how to proceed with its project on the trans-boundary river that flows from India to Bangladesh.
On April 27, foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain disclosed Bangladesh鈥檚 position on the UN proposal for providing a humanitarian channel to the Rakhine State of Myanmar facing civil war since 2021.
The adviser said that Bangladesh agreed in principle to provide a humanitarian passage to Rakhine, now being largely controlled by the armed rebel group Arakan Army, in line with a UN proposal that drew repercussions from various quarters, including political parties. About the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the Chinese diplomat said that they urged both sides to act in the interest of peace and stability, stay calm, exercise restraint and refrain from taking actions that may further complicate the situation.
鈥業ndia launched military strikes on targets in Pakistan in the early morning of May 7. China finds that regrettable and is concerned about the ongoing situation,鈥� he added.
China opposed all forms of terrorism and called for an impartial investigation at an early date, he added.
