Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming today said Beijing’s basic intention is to resolve all regional disputes in an “Asian Way” instead of heeding western suggestions to ensure peace and stability in this region.
“We (China) believe, we should solve our regional problems in Asian way … not by (following) standard practice of European way (here),” he said.
The Chinese envoy was speaking at “DCAB Talk” organized by Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (DCAB) at Jatiya Press Club here.
The ambassador said Beijing doesn’t like to see Bay of Bengal as heavily armed and expects that all regional countries here would play a positive role in this regards.
“We hope that … all stakeholders should play a positive role … not to act (as like) that some countries are doing (currently) in Europe,” he said.
Regarding relations with India, the envoy said China doesn’t have any strategic rivalry or hostility to India. “We hope that both China and India having population of more than one billion people can work close together to solve economic and other issues,” he added.
He said that Beijing is keen to work closely with Bangladesh to ensure development, peace and stability in the region.
The Ambassador said that Bangladesh is ready to go for high end industrialization like manufacturing of renewable energy and even automobiles.
“Infrastructure is there … power plant is there … domestic market has largely been improved … (sea) ports … everything almost ready (in Bangladesh) for high level industrialization,” he said adding that China is also ready to make more important role in achieving this process.
As an economic powerhouse accounting for 18.5 per cent of world economy, China has always been committed to joint development with neighboring countries, including Bangladesh.
“Chinese companies and Chinese people see Bangladesh in very positive way,” he added.
Noting that global and regional peace and domestic stability are the pre condition for achieving the development goals, the envoy said he believes that Bangladesh will be able to resolve domestic issues “peacefully and democratic ways”.
The envoy said both Dhaka and Beijing have been working together to explore probable sources of emergency energy supply to face the current challenge of global energy crisis due to Russian-Ukraine conflict.
On Ukraine issue, he said, China shares similar views with Bangladesh. “We both stand with peace and call for appropriate settlement of concerns of all through diplomatic channels,” he added.
Regarding Rohingya issues, the Chinese Ambassador said, Beijing’s main goal is realizing repatriation of forcibly displaced people from Bangladesh to Myanmar to bring a sustainable solution of the crisis. “They (Rohingya) must go (to Myanmar),” he added.
Li said Chinese ambassador to Myanmar has been engaged with the Naypyidaw authorities to create conducive environment in Rakhine so that Rohingyas would go back to their land of origin.
He said the Myanmar authority is positive to take back Rohingyas, but currently they are waiting for seizing the current conflict in Rakhine state to commence the repatriation.
“We also appreciate Bangladesh for well coping with the turmoil along Myanmar border,” the ambassador said.
The envoy also talked about debt management, global development initiative, trade and investment issues.
“There is no Chinese debt trap in Bangladesh. There is no Chinese debt trap globally,” the ambassador said.
The envoy said his country has been working to decrease the trade gap between the two countries that is currently largely in favour of China.
According to statistics from the Chinese side, in the first eight months of 2022, trade in goods between China and Bangladesh amounted to 18.83 billion US $ , registering a year-on-year increase of 23.9 per cent.
With the 98 per cent zero-tariff treatment entering into force this September, it is expected that Bangladesh’s export to China would be boosted, enlarging the bilateral trade volume while making the trade account more balanced.
DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus and its General Secretary AKM Moinuddin also spoke.
