On the afternoon of August 23, 2023 local time, President Xi Jinping meets with Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the BRICS leaders' meeting.
Xi noted that China and Bangladesh are traditionally friendly.In 2016, we upgraded China-Bangladesh relations to a strategic partnership, pointing out the direction for deepening cooperation between the two countries. At present, both China and Bangladesh are at a critical stage of their respective development and revitalization. China is willing to work with Bangladesh to strengthen the docking of development strategies, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, and push the China-Bangladesh strategic partnership to a new level, bringing more benefits to the people of the two countries.
Xi stressed that China supports the Bangladeshi side in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, opposing external interference, maintaining domestic unity and stability, and realizing development and revitalization, and is willing to continue to firmly support each other on issues related to each other's core interests. The two sides should strengthen strategic communication and closely interact with each other at all levels and sectors. They should promote the high-quality construction of the "Belt and Road", give full play to the complementary advantages of the two countries' economies, and strengthen cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, information technology, new energy and agriculture. We will strengthen people-to-people exchanges and deepen cultural exchanges. We congratulate Bangladesh on its accession to the BRICS New Development Bank, and China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Bangladesh in multilateral affairs, so as to safeguard international justice and the common interests of developing countries.
Hasina said President Xi Jinping's successful state visit to Bangladesh in 2016 became a landmark event in the relations between the two countries. She thanked China for providing valuable support to Bangladesh in fighting the new crown epidemic and economic development, helping the country develop and improve people's livelihood. The good relations between Bangladesh and China are based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. He congratulated President Xi Jinping on the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, the construction of which has opened new doors for Bangladesh's development. Bangladesh firmly adheres to the one-China policy and appreciates the important role played by China in promoting regional peace and stability. Bangladesh is willing to deepen bilateral relations with China and strengthen cooperation in multilateral mechanisms such as the BRICS, believing that the development and growth of the BRICS mechanism will bring new development opportunities to developing countries. Cai Qi and Wang Yi attended the meeting.