Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on 4-day bilateral visit to China

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Dhaka: A fortnight after Sheikh Hasina's visit to India, the Bangladesh Prime Minister on Monday departed from Dhaka for Beijing on a four-day official visit to China at the invitation of Chinese premier Li Qiang, local media reported.

Hasina's China visit, is believed to elevate the "strategic partnership" between Bangladesh and China to a "comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership," the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Xi Jinping had visited Bangladesh in October, 2016, during which the two countries upgraded their relationship to "Strategic Partnership" while Sheikh Hasina last visited Beijing in July 2019.

A special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying Hasina and her entourage departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:05am today, as per the Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star.

During her China visit, Hasina will hold separate meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang and join a summit meeting on Trade, Business and Investment Opportunities between the two countries.

Dhaka and Beijing are likely to sign some 20 or so MoUs and announce inauguration of some development projects after a bilateral meeting between the two sides to be led by the two premiers, the Daily Star reported.

Bangladesh will seek China's assistance in areas of investment and trade, financial assistance and repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters at a press briefing on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Hasina visited India on June 21-22 on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held bilateral discussions. The two countries signed 10 memorandums (MoUs) of understanding, including that of management and conservation of the Teesta River in Bangladesh.

Earlier addressing an event in Dhaka ahead of Hasina's visit to China, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader described India as Bangladesh's "political friend" and China as its "development partner."

"China has contributed significantly to the development of many sectors in our country. Why will we not accept support from China for the sake of the country's overall progress?" Quader said as cited by the Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star.