Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to visit China next week after India trip

The Chinese government announced on Thursday that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will pay a visit to Beijing from July 8 to 10, where she will meet with top Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping.

This visit is expected to strengthen political mutual trust and boost bilateral relations to a new level. Coming just days after her trip to India, Hasina’s visit to China is seen as an effort to strike a balance between her country’s ties with its two major investors.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, this is Hasina’s first visit to China since her new term began and her second visit in five years. During her stay, she will hold talks with President Xi and Premier Li Qiang, and attend a ceremony to sign cooperative agreements.

More from World

Nepal's new PM pays homage to people died during the Gen Z protest in her first national address This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

The leaders of the two countries will have an “in-depth exchange of views” on deepening traditional friendship, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation and international and regional issues of common concern, the spokesperson said, adding that Hasina will also attend the China-Bangladesh Business Trade and Investment Conference.

“The visit will facilitate political mutual trust, strengthen the development strategies, promote high-quality joint construction of the ‘Belt and Road,’ accelerate the implementation of the three major global initiatives, and push China-Bangladesh relations to a new level,” Mao said.

Hasina’s China visit was expected to focus on more Chinese investments in Bangladesh under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a multi-project, multi-country infrastructure project of China. Next to Pakistan, Bangladesh is the biggest recipient of Chinese investments estimated to be over USD 25 billion.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

Hasina’s Beijing visit follows her travel to New Delhi last month besides her attendance at the swearing ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the third term signifying close ties between India and Bangladesh.

After her talks with Modi on June 22, both sides decided to work on a mega project to conserve and manage the cross-border Teesta River, apart from moving ahead to start negotiations on a comprehensive trade pact and boosting defence ties.

Incidentally, China has also evinced interest to build a mega project on the Teesta River. After returning from her India visit, Hasina said Bangladesh would gauge proposals from both India and China for that mega project and accept the better one for her country.

With inputs from agencies.