Beijing: China, Pakistan and Bangladesh have agreed to advance cooperation based on the principles of good-neighbourliness, equality and mutual trust at the inaugural trilateral meeting of their foreign ministry officials.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladeshi Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique and Additional Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Imran Ahmed Siddiqui attended the meeting held at the Chinese city of Kunming, capital of Southern Yunnan province, where China is holding its annual South Asia expo.
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch participated, via a video link, in the first phase of the meeting Thursday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry press release said here Friday.
China’s new strategic initiative to bring closer the two estranged South Asian countries in India’s immediate neighbourhood comes a month after a similar trilateral mechanism meeting was held with Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In his address, Sun Weidong said Bangladesh and Pakistan are both good neighbours, good friends, and good partners of China, and important partners in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the Foreign Ministry’s press release said.
Cooperation among China, Pakistan and Bangladesh aligns with the common interests of the three people, and can contribute to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, Sun who was a former Ambassador to Pakistan and India, said.
The three sides exchanged views extensively on China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral cooperation and agreed to establish a working group to follow up and implement the understandings reached during the meeting, the press release said.
They also emphasised that China-Bangladesh-Pakistan cooperation adheres to true multilateralism and open regionalism, not directed at any third party, it added.
Thursday’s trilateral mechanism comes in the backdrop of Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, who took charge after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government last year, warming up to China and seeking Beijing’s assistance on various fronts, in an apparent efforts to reduce his country’s dependence on India.
Yunus has also sought to establish close ties with Pakistan, reviving for the first-time Bangladesh’s links with Pakistan after the separation following the 1971 war.
The Chinese press release said the three countries have agreed to advance trilateral cooperation based on the principles of good-neighbourliness, equality and mutual trust, openness and inclusiveness, common development, and win-win cooperation during the meeting in Kunming.
The trilateral cooperation focuses on promoting economic development and improving people’s livelihoods. The three sides agreed to explore and implement cooperation projects in such areas as industry, trade, maritime affairs, water resources, climate change, agriculture, human resources, think tanks, health, education, culture, and youth, it said.
In Kunming, Sun also called on Haji Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Acting Deputy Prime Minister of the interim government of Afghan, and held bilateral meetings with Ruhul Alam Siddique and Imran Ahmed Siddiqui.
A Pakistan Foreign Ministry press release said Baloch commended the Chinese side for convening the inaugural meeting of the trilateral mechanism.
Noting the common aspirations of the three sides for people-centric development, she expressed Pakistan’s desire for a deeper engagement between China and South Asian countries.
Expressing satisfaction at the upward trajectory of bilateral ties, she conveyed Pakistan’s readiness to work with China and Bangladesh to enhance ties in trade and investment, agriculture, digital economy, environment protection, marine sciences, green infrastructure, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.
The three sides agreed that trilateral cooperation would be guided by the principles of openness, inclusivity, good neighbourliness, mutual respect and trust, while working towards win-win cooperation, it said.
PTI
