Chinese defense minister due Tuesday

 Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe is scheduled to arrive here on a brief visit on Tuesday highlighting the "steady and rapid progress" in Bangladesh-China military cooperation in recent years.

"Yes, the Chinese Defense Minister Fenghe is coming," a senior official told UNB.

Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff General Aziz Ahmed visited China in November, 2019.

General Fenghe was appointed as the head of China's Ministry of National Defense at the 13th National People's Congress on March 19, 2018.

The Chinese Defense Minister is likely to meet President Abdul Hamid apart from his meeting with the Bangladesh Army Chief.

The visit is taking place when Bangladesh and China are in a discussion over Covid-19 vaccine cooperation.

Earlier this month, Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane also visited Bangladesh.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently said he is willing to work with Bangladesh to further connect their development strategies, deepen practical cooperation across the board, and strive for new outcomes from the Bangladesh-China Strategic Partnership of Cooperation.

“China and Bangladesh are close neighbours and traditional friends. In recent years, China-Bangladesh relations enjoy a sound momentum of development, with strategic mutual trust being strengthened and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative pressing ahead,” he said in a message to his Bangladesh counterpart Abdul Hamid.

China’s Minister of Defence Fenghe is likely to go to Colombo, Sri Lanka from Dhaka on Tuesday before heading towards Beijing.