Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has sought more defence sector cooperation from Beijing, saying Chinese training has increased Bangladesh's UN peacekeeping capabilities.
"We have very important defence cooperation between China and Bangladesh. China is a major supplier of our defence equipment. And the modernization of our military services that we are looking forward to, I think we need a lot of cooperation in this respect from China," he said while speaking at a seminar on Bangladesh-China relations Monday.
Another area he mentioned is cooperation in personnel training.
"We have very deep defence training cooperation and this needs to continue and be enhanced, if possible," the adviser said, adding: "Cooperation with China also increased our capability in participation in UN peacekeeping operations which are important for our country."
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen and experts from both sides spoke at the seminar organized by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in collaboration with the Centre for China Studies, DU.
The foreign adviser said that it is likely that the post-revolution trajectory of Bangladesh and its future relations with China might be influenced by various factors, including Bangladesh's political stability as well as the changing dynamics of regional and global politics.
Rohingya crisis
The adviser also sought China's support for resolving the Rohingya crisis. He particularly mentioned Chinese influence in Myanmar while seeking Beijing's "active role" in this regard.
"We know China has been cooperating with us for their return. The only solution to the problem is their return to their homeland. There is also a tripartite mechanism. We all know China has a lot of influence in Myanmar. Let us accept the realities. We look forward to China's more active role in their return," he said.
