Covid-19: Chinese president phones Bangladesh PM offering help

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over phone on Wednesday, and proposed to send an expert team to help Bangladesh combat the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Chinese president phoned the prime minister around 5pm today and wanted to know from her about the coronavirus situation in Bangladesh,” the prime minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told BSS.

“We are ready to send an expert team to Bangladesh to prevent coronavirus if you want,” Jinping told his Bangladeshi counterpart.

During the 25-minute conversation, the Chinese president assured the Bangladesh prime minister that his country would continue supports for Bangladesh’s economic development.

“We will always stay beside Bangladesh for its economic uplift and also extend support to the country in the international forum,” he said.

Jinping also said China would continue to work for further strengthening strategic partnership with Bangladesh.

The press secretary said the prime minister thanked the Chinese president for expressing sympathy for Bangladesh over the ongoing Covid-19 situation.

“Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to the international community to work together to combat the Covid-19 crisis,” Karim added. 

The two leaders expressed gratitude to each other for sending medical equipment and other goods to their respective countries during the pandemic.

The press secretary said the Chinese president recalled the visit of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to China.

“His [Bangabandhu's] visit laid the foundation of bilateral relations between the two countries,” Jinping said and hoped that the ties would be strengthened further in the days to come.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Communist Party of China (CPC) also said that it was ready to support Bangladesh Awami League in combating the Covid-19 outbreak.

The party, which has been governing China since 1949, also expressed its urge to make the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), as well as some other major city corporations, “sister cities” to tackle the upcoming challenges.

A sister city is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. The relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed officials from both communities sign an agreement.

Officials of the International Liaison Department of the CPC imparted this information, making the proposal at a webinar on countering Covid-19 on Tuesday afternoon.

Regarding the meeting, Dr Shammi Ahmed, international affairs secretary of the Awami League, said: “International Liaison Department of CPC leaders told us they are ready to support Bangladesh to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Chinese leaders and experts of Wuhan city shared their Covid-19 experience with us. They are ready to provide medical support to Bangladesh to fight the pandemic,” she added.