China is ready to support Bangladesh in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management Project, only if Bangladesh is determined to engage it, said its envoy to Bangladesh.
“If the Bangladesh government is really determined to do it, China would take it under very positive consideration. But there is also some information which said there might be some hesitation from Bangladesh side because of the outside pressure,” Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said on Saturday.
China is cautious about the project due to the geo-political sensitivities surrounding it, he also said.
“I think the most important factor (for this project) is not technology, not money, but the determination of the Bangladesh government. If it (Bangladesh) says it is determined to do so, China will be there,” said the envoy while responding to questions after a discussion on the 20th congress of the Communist Party of China.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, he said China is playing an active role in pursuing and facilitating early repatriation for the Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh, but creating a conducive environment in Rakhine will remain the key condition before repatriation.
Bangladesh China Silk Road Forum organized the seminar at a Dhaka Hotel with a Chinese envoy as the chief guest, and Workers Party of Bangladesh president Rashed Khan Menon as a special guest. The forum's president Dilip Barua, also a veteran politician, chaired the event.
Proposing a pilot project on Teesta river, Li Jiming said: “Teesta River is not big enough. Probably the best choice we have is to launch a pilot project to see how to deal with the river problem in Bangladesh as a whole,” he said.
Responding to a question on Bangladesh's current political situation, the envoy said China's position is that it does not interfere with the internal affairs of any country.
“My opinion is that a country's peace and stability are prerequisites to its development. So, we hope that there will be social and political stability,” he added.