Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh foreign minister Khalilur Rahman arrived in China on Tuesday on a three-day visit at the invitation of Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, as Beijing and Dhaka look to deepen diplomatic and economic ties.
This is Khalilur’s third overseas bilateral visit since his appointment in February, after the BNP formed the new government.
China’s foreign ministry said ties with Bangladesh had brought tangible benefits to both peoples and were based on mutual respect and equality. “China and Bangladesh have long been each other’s friends and close neighbors,” it said.
It added that bilateral relations had “enjoyed sustained and steady progress and delivered tangibly for the two peoples,” and said Beijing attached “high importance” to ties with Dhaka.
China said the visit was an opportunity to strengthen political trust, expand cooperation across sectors, advance high-quality Belt and Road projects and deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, to which ties were upgraded in 2024.
China has been Bangladesh’s largest trading partner for 15 years. The two countries marked 50 years of diplomatic ties last year. Bilateral trade stood at around $17.35 billion in 2024, heavily in China’s favour.
In 2016, Beijing pledged about $24 billion in loans and aid to Bangladesh after Dhaka formally joined the Belt and Road Initiative.