Chinese ambassador invites PM Tarique Rahman to visit China

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen has conveyed warm congratulations and greetings to prime minister Tarique Rahman from Chinese president Xi Jinping and premier Li Qiang.

He has also invited the prime minister to visit China.

The Chinese envoy extended the invitation when he paid a call on the prime minister at his cabinet division office in the Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital at 12.30 pm today.

Prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser Humayun Kabir disclosed this while briefing the journalists at the secretariat after the meeting.

Replying to a question, he said that the tour schedule was not discussed during the meeting.

“The prime minister currently has many important domestic priority tasks. This invitation from China will be considered with great importance when he will begin his foreign tour after completing the domestic affairs,” Humayun added.

The foreign affairs adviser said that the Chinese government has recognised the huge mandate that newly elected prime minister Tarique Rahman got with a two-thirds majority.

The Chinese ambassador mainly came to congratulate the new government formed through the spontaneous participation of the people of Bangladesh in the election, Humayun added.

Stating that “the relationship between Bangladesh and China is historical”, he said, “This strong relationship began during the tenure of martyred president Ziaur Rahman. Over the years, China has been a very important and strong development partner of Bangladesh”.

The development work that has taken place between Bangladesh and China in recent years, Humayun said, the current government wants to move it further forward.

Noting that today’s meeting between the prime minister and Chinese ambassador was just a courtesy call, he said there was no discussion on any specific issues.

But the both sides made courteous commitments on how to take bilateral relations to a new height and how to further strengthen development activities while protecting the interests of the people of both countries, Humayun added.