The reply from Chinese President Xi Jinping to the letter of Bangladeshi girl Alifa Chin has “endowed the China-Bangladesh friendship with new connotations and aroused enthusiastic repercussions in both countries”.
Senior Colonel Du Xinsheng, defence attache of the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, made the comment at a reception hosted on Monday at the embassy to celebrate the 96th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA).
Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, principal staff officer of Bangladesh Armed Forces Division, was present as the chief guest, the Chinese embassy said.
The Chinese president recently wrote back to Alifa Chin, encouraging her to study hard, pursue her dream and carry forward the traditional friendship between China and Bangladesh.
During a friendship and humanitarian voyage of "The Peace Ark", China's navy hospital ship, a Chinese female military doctor helped a Bangladeshi mother get through a dangerous time and give birth to her daughter in Chittagong.
And the father named her daughter "Chin", the Bengali word for China.
“It is a very touching story of friendship between China and Bangladesh,” Du Xinsheng said.
He said since its birth in 1927, the PLA has embarked on “an extraordinary journey to achieve independence and liberation of the Chinese nation, safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development, as well as advance peace and progress in the world.”
He said that over the past decades, the PLA has been participating in numerous UN peacekeeping operations, international disaster relief efforts and humanitarian programs, and has forged ever closer friendship and cooperation with the armed forces from other countries including Bangladesh.
“Guided by the consensus reached by top leaders of China and Bangladesh, both the militaries will continually strengthen solidarity and cooperation on the basis of the already fruitful results, work together to meet challenges, and jointly write a new chapter in deepening China-Bangladesh friendship and maintaining world peace.”
Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman congratulated the PLA on the occasion.
He highly appreciated the friendly relations between the two countries and the two militaries and was looking forward to Chinese and Bangladeshi militaries joining hands to achieve new and greater achievement, the Chinese embassy said.
Picture exhibitions themed as "The Peace Ark", UN peacekeeping and Escort Missions were displayed at the reception.
A video showing the active participation of the Chinese military in international security cooperation and a documentary in regard to the story of Alifa Chin were played.
More than 200 guests from the Bangladeshi armed forces, government, police, foreign missions and defence attaches in Dhaka, and the local Chinese community attended the event.
“They also offered their best wishes for the sound and stable development of the relations between China and Bangladesh militaries,” the embassy said.
