China and Bangladesh elevated their relations on Wednesday to a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” from the “strategic partnership of cooperation” during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s first visit since she returned to power for a fourth consecutive term in January this year.
Alongside her counterpart Li Qiang, the prime minister witnessed the signing of 22 instruments, including three renewed memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and announced six new projects to further enhance ties before leaving Beijing on Wednesday night.
President Xi Jinping promised the prime minister cooperation in four areas: grants, interest-free loans, concessional loans, and commercial loans. Beijing also announced 1 billion Chinese Yuan in much-needed economic assistance to Bangladesh.
Xi Jinping mentioned that a technical committee from China would visit Dhaka soon to work jointly with the Bangladesh side, according to Foreign Minister Dr. Hasan Mahmud.
“It’s a reflection that both sides want to take the relationship to a new level,” former ambassador Munshi Faiz Ahmad told Dhaka Tribune in his assessment of the visit.
"Before the strategic partnership announced during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Dhaka in 2016, it was called ‘a closer comprehensive partnership for cooperation’. Now they are referring to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which means an all-encompassing relationship. This already exists in China-Bangladesh relations. When we say strategic, you will not find any field that is not covered,” said the former ambassador, who has served in China during his diplomatic career.
Bangladesh was also one of the first countries in South Asia to join the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2016.
"But I think with the comprehensive strategic partnership announcement, they documented their intention to make the relationship even closer and support each other in every way. Politically, both sides want to take the relationship further. It's an achievement,” Munshi Faiz said.
Interest-free loans are a particularly new dimension in the relationship, he noted.
Xi-Hasina meeting: China to cooperate with Bangladesh in grants and loans“If it happens, then it's a game-changer in the relationship,” he said. "And I think they will not stop here. After $1 billion, more will come.”
President Xi Jinping said China is willing to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Dhaka and Beijing next year as an opportunity to deepen the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, expand cooperation in various fields, and promote the steady and long-term development of the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.
According to an article from the China Institute of International Studies, the word "comprehensive" added to the term "strategic partnership" means that the partnership covers a wider range of areas, including politics, economy, trade, security, humanities, and international and regional affairs. This indicates that the two sides recognize and pursue their relationship at a higher level.
“The term ‘comprehensive’ partnership usually implies that relations have reached a relatively high level of maturity and institutionalization, with close cooperation in various fields, including political, economic, humanistic, international, and regional affairs.”
The signed MoUs include:
- Strengthening Investment Cooperation in the Digital Economy
- Banking and Insurance Regulatory Cooperation between China National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) and Bangladesh Bank
- A Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Mangoes from Bangladesh to China
- Exchange and Cooperation in Economic Development Policy
- Trade and Investment Cooperation
- Strengthening Digital Economy Cooperation
- Signing of Minutes of Discussions on the Feasibility Study of the China-aid National Emergency Operation Centre in Bangladesh Project
- Exchange of Letters on the China-aid 6th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge Renovation Project
- Exchange of Letters on the Feasibility Study of China-aided Construction of Nateshwar Archaeological Site Park in Bangladesh Project
- Exchange of Letters on the China-aided 9th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge Project
- Strengthening Cooperation in Medical Care and Public Health
- MoU on Strengthening Infrastructure Cooperation
- Cooperation on Green and Low-Carbon Development
- Renewing the MoU on Provision of Hydrological Information of the Yaluzangbu/Brahmaputra River in Flood Season by China to Bangladesh
- MoU between National Radio and Television Administration and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh
- MoU between the China Media Group (CMG) and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)
- MoU between the China Media Group (CMG) and BTV
- Agreement between the Xinhua News Agency and BSS
- Agreement between the Xinhua News Agency and BTV
- Renewing MoU between the Ministry of Education of China and the Ministry of Education of Bangladesh
- MoU Regarding Public-Private Partnership for Sustainable Infrastructure Development
- MoU between Shandong Agricultural University and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur
The announced projects are:
- Conclusion of Joint Feasibility Study on China-Bangladesh Free Trade Agreement
- Commencement of negotiations on the Optimization of China-Bangladesh Bilateral Investment Treaty
- Completion of the Modernization of Telecommunication Network for Digital Connectivity project
- Completion of the trial run of the Single Point Mooring with Double Pipeline project
- Commencement of Rajshahi WASA Surface Water Treatment Plant
- Construction of Luban Workshop in Bangladesh
Analyzing the signings, former ambassador Munshi Faiz noted the MoUs signify “broader cooperation” in infrastructure development and economic support.
“I think both sides did it intentionally because many other stakeholders have interests in different projects. With the MoU, both countries showed their interest to work on these areas and now they will develop projects and gradually sign agreements to implement them,” he said.
The bilateral talks mainly featured the Rohingya issue, business, trade and commerce, investments, bilateral relations, and various regional and international matters.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh hopes to learn from China's successful development experience, expand cooperation in economy, trade, infrastructure, poverty reduction, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges such as youth and culture.
“The Belt and Road Initiative has greatly promoted economic development and improved people's livelihoods in the region. Bangladesh will continue to actively participate in Belt and Road cooperation,” she was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
