'A stunning pearl is rising from the Bay of Bengal'

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Saturday said that Bangladesh has grown from a boat to a cruise, forging ahead in spite of headwinds and currents, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"From my own three-year experience in the country, I could tell that a stunning pearl is rising from the Bay of Bengal," he said, adding that over the past decade, both Bangladesh and China have impressed the world with their incredible achievements.

Ambassador Li said China will keep devoted to joint development with Bangladesh and the world.

"It is my deep belief that, under the capable leadership of our respective state leaders, the friendly bond between Bangladesh and China will remain close and strong, for long and forever," he said. 

Ambassador Li Jiming was speaking at a reception celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center on Saturday night.

Planning Minister MA Mannan spoke as the chief guest highlighting Bangladesh-China cooperation.

He said China has become a major development partner of Bangladesh in her journey of attaining Vision 2041 – to make Bangladesh a knowledge-based developed country by 2041 - the Sonar Bangla – as dreamed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Political leaders, diplomats stationed in Dhaka, business leaders and foreign affairs experts also joined the event.

Ambassador Li said China vows to be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.

"We advocate a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and endeavour to work with all to build a community with a shared future for mankind," he said, adding that they reject any Cold-war mindset, group confrontation or unilateral sanctions.

The envoy said Bangladesh and China are indispensable strategic partners and friendly interactions between the two countries could be traced back to centuries ago.

The Ambassador highlighted that the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur visited China twice in the 1950s.

Over the past decade, he said, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following the step of the late Bangabandhu, also visited China twice.

In 2016, President Xi paid a historic visit to Bangladesh, and the two leaders ushered a new chapter in our bilateral relations by uplifting it into a Strategic Partnership of Cooperation, the envoy mentioned.

To take back the Bangladeshi students stranded during the pandemic, the Ambassador said they have restarted visa issuance and will charter six flights designated for them, the first of which will take off on September 26.