Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC) Liu Haixing on Wednesday said they, standing at a new historical starting point, stand ready to work together with all sectors of society in Bangladesh to carry forward friendship, foster consensus, deepen exchanges and mutual learning.
“We must stand together through thick and thin and jointly build a path of friendship,” said Liu, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) central committee, while delivering keynote speech at a seminar.
He also highlighted the importance of enhancing people-to-people ties, so as to turn the traditional friendship into momentum for progress and let Bangladesh-China relations shine more brilliantly in the new era.
"In China, there is a saying - one should mirror the past to understand the present; without the past, the present cannot be. History has bestowed on us a precious friendship that spans generations," said the Chinese leader.
The seminar titled “Where History Illuminates the Future: China-Bangladesh “Political Parties Plus” Roundtable & Inauguration Ceremony of Bangladesh-China Centre for Party and State Governance Studies”, was hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka at InterContinental Dhaka.
BNP acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi spoke as the chief at the seminar chaired by Chargé d'Affaires (CDA) at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Dhaka Dr Liu Yuyin.
Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Mia Golam Parwar, National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam, President of Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCCI) Mohd. Khorshed Alam and international affairs expert Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, among others, spoke at the seminar.
Prime Minister’s Adviser Nazrul Islam Khan, BNP Vice Chairman, a former Bangladesh Air Force Chief, and a former Minister of Home Affairs Air Vice Marshal (retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam, State Minister for Land and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Mir Mohammed Helal Uddin and State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin, among others, were present.
This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
"As a century-old major party still in its prime, the CPC has been continuously exploring ways to strengthen itself," Liu said.
"Since the 18th CPC National Congress, centering on the epochal question of what kind of long-term ruling Marxist political party we should build and how to build it, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has put forward a series of new ideas, thinking and strategies to govern, invigorate and strengthen the Party, thus forming Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building," he said.
Last week, Liu said, the CPC successfully convened the fifth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, during which important arrangements were made for persevering with full and rigorous party self-governance from the strategic height of consolidating the ruling status of the party and fulfilling its missions and tasks.
"We are ready to strengthen exchanges on the outcome of the Plenary Session, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building with political parties and all sectors of Bangladesh," he said.
Liu said Bangladesh and China are linked by mountains and seas, across the millennia, they have respected each other amid exchanges of civilizations, stood by one another amid shifting circumstances, and advanced side by side along our development journeys, jointly writing a remarkable chapter of friendship between close neighbors.
He said history not only records their precious past, but also lights the path ahead. “Ten years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Bangladesh, elevating bilateral relations to a strategic cooperative partnership,” Liu said.
Last June, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during his visit to China.
The two leaders jointly announced the building of a China-Bangladesh community with a shared future in the new era, charting the course for a new chapter in their friendship. “We must stay firmly on course and jointly build a path of trust.”
“I cherish a special bond with Bangladesh. Forty-six years ago, my father served as China’s Ambassador to Bangladesh. From then on, I often heard him speak of the hardworking and kind-hearted Bangladeshi people and his deep affection for this land caressed by monsoon,” he said.
The CPC leader said this reflects the continuity of Bangladesh-China friendship, and reinforces my conviction that our friendship enjoys enduring vitality that transcends time, takes deep root among our peoples, and grows ever stronger.
Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, he said Bangladesh and China have been committed to friendship.
“We stand firm as trusted good friends, neighbours and partners. Amid profound changes unseen in a century, it is all the more important for us to follow the guidance of our leaders, and firmly respect, understand and support one another on issues bearing on each other’s core interests and major concerns,” Liu said, adding that “We must light the way for each other and jointly build a path of development.”
Over the past five decades, bilateral trade surged from 15 million to more than 23 billion US dollars.
Liu said Bangladesh was the first South Asian country to sign a memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road cooperation with China.
Over the years, a host of projects including highways, bridges and tunnels have been delivered across Bangladesh, giving a strong boost to local economic and social development, he said.
“Today, progress is steady on major projects such as the Mongla Port Industrial Park and the comprehensive treatment and restoration of the Teesta River. We believe these initiatives will bring greater benefits to peoples of both countries,” said the CPC leader said.
He said they should work together to act on the four Global Initiatives put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, step up communication and coordination within multilateral frameworks including the UN, and promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation.
“This will better safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of China, Bangladesh and the shared interests of the Global South,” he said.
He said China-Bangladesh friendship is not an undertaking of a small number of people, but a consensus across all sectors of our societies.
“That is what makes it so precious. Polls show that 90 percent of Bangladeshi people hold a favorable opinion of China. This hard-won achievement deserves to be cherished,” he said.
“Over the years, you have devoted yourselves to your respective fields and helped nurture the foundation of China-Bangladesh friendship with great care,” said the CPC leader.
“We count on your continuous efforts to further consolidate the broad consensus for friendship between our two countries, and let the tree of China-Bangladesh friendship flourish ever more vibrantly.”
Going forward, Liu said, it is hoped that the Center will deepen research on and interpretation of the underlying logic of governance of the two countries to enhance mutual understanding; share each other’s governance philosophies to enhance mutual learning; and boost cooperation across the board to deepen the friendship.
He said the Center can facilitate more exchanges between political parties, youths, business communities, media outlets and think tanks, so as to contribute to building a China-Bangladesh community with a shared future in the new era.