Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Thursday said the Bangladesh general election was an internal issue while the financial crisis was global in nature.
“Elections for all countries are internal, and our policy is very clear. We hope the elections will be conducted as per the constitution, and we do hope after the election there will be stability, life will return to normal and our cooperation will continue,” Yao said in response to a question during an interaction with members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB).
On the financial difficulty faced by the Bangladesh government, the ambassador said it was not a problem only Bangladesh was facing. “It's a global issue. You see the conflict. One is in Ukraine, the other is in the Middle East and the uncertain international financial situation and the high interest rate".
All these together contributed to the difficulty faced by “your country and other countries," he said.
"I should say compared with the other Asian neighbours, Bangladesh still stands out in terms of financial stability."
“So definitely that is our expectation that maybe next year the situation will turn better," he said.
Asked about dialogue between political parties in Bangladesh, he said it was not for a foreign ambassador to comment on that.
He, however, said China wanted the Bangladeshi people and parties to settle their differences to ensure the right environment for the election.
DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus, General Secretary Emrul Kayesh and Chinese Enterprise Association Bangladesh President Ke Changliang spoke at the program organized to mark 10 years of the Chinese flagship initiative Belt and Road (BRI).
In 2016, President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Bangladesh, where he and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the opening of a new era of China-Bangladesh Belt and Road cooperation.
Since then, China and Bangladesh had sowed the seeds of hope, which had sprouted and blossomed under the hard work and care of the two peoples, the ambassador said.
"Over the past seven years, we have built 12 highways, 21 bridges, and 27 power and energy projects in Bangladesh, contributing to turning the dreams of the Bangladeshi people into reality.
“The Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant and the first sections of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway and the Padma Bridge rail link have been completed one after another. Last week, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated in person the Bangabandhu Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River, on which occasion Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent a message of congratulation," he said.
Over the past seven years, the stock of Chinese investment in Bangladesh has grown from $241 million to nearly $1.4 billion.
At present there were nearly 700 Chinese enterprises operating in Bangladesh, said the ambassador.