Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday urged China to help resolve the protracted Rohingya crisis, saying the presence of around 1.3 million Rohingyas is putting heavy economic, social, demographic and environmental pressure on Bangladesh.
He raised the issue during a courtesy meeting with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at the Prime Minister’s Office at Bangladesh Secretariat this morning, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin.
Liu said China was aware of the crisis and would convey the Prime Minister’s concerns to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties. Liu conveyed Xi Jinping’s greetings to the Prime Minister, who in turn sent his greetings to Xi Jinping and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang.
Liu recalled the joint declaration on a new era of bilateral relations, made during the Prime Minister’s visit to Beijing, and hoped cooperation would expand in line with it.
He said Beijing’s commitment to Bangladesh’s development remained unchanged and expressed confidence in the country’s economic growth and development prospects under Tarique Rahman’s leadership.They also discussed the Bangladesh-China-Myanmar Economic Corridor. Liu said China supports Bangladesh’s inclusion in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Both sides stressed closer party-level ties between the CPC and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Liu said China wants to expand and diversify these relations and invited a BNP delegation led by its Secretary General to visit China.