Beijing: Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman Wednesday arrived in Beijing Wednesday, where he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on strengthening bilateral ties and charting the future course of relations between the two countries.
Rahman arrived in the Chinese city of Dalian from Kuala Lumpur Monday. In the coastal city, he attended the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF), aimed at translating technological promises into economic progress and employment opportunities.
Rahman on Wednesday took a high-speed train from Dalian to Beijing, where he will meet Xi, Premier Li Qiang and other senior officials in the next two days.
“The leaders will chart the future course of bilateral ties” in their talks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a media briefing in Beijing Monday.
“Through the visit, China looks forward to working with the new government of Bangladesh to enhance strategic communication, carry forward the traditional friendship, advance high-quality BRI cooperation, expand exchanges and cooperation in various areas, and enhance coordination on multilateral affairs to bring the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation to a new level”, he said.
Ahead of Rahman’s China visit, Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam told media in Dhaka June 20 that Bangladesh and China are expected to sign 15 to 17 bilateral instruments, including 13 Memorandums of Understanding, two agreements, one action plan and one protocol, according to a report in Bangladesh’s state-run BSS news agency.
There would also be discussions regarding the Teesta water project during the visit, he said.
The Teesta project is a sensitive issue in India-Bangladesh relations. Ties between the neighbouring countries have shown signs of improvement since Rahman’s government took office in February, ending the brief rule of an interim government headed by Mohammad Yunus, a period marked by deterioration in New Delhi-Dhaka ties.
Water sharing remains a key issue in New Delhi-Dhaka ties. The India-Bangladesh Ganges Water Treaty, signed in 1996 for 30 years, to govern dry-season sharing of the Ganges river, is due to expire this year unless renewed.
Rahman, in his speech at a WEF session titled “Climate Leadership in a Shifting Global Landscape” in Dalian Tuesday, said Bangladesh’s action plans included excavation and re-excavation of 20,000 kms of rivers and canals over the next five years, improving water management in the Padma and Teesta rivers, the BSS news agency reported.