China, Bangladesh discuss economic, trade ties in post-Covid era

DHAKA: China and Bangladesh have discussed how to promote the healthy development of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era.

The two sides had the discussions at the China-Bangladesh Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum 2021 and the inauguration of the Seventh Council of Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh (CEAB) which were held virtually on Tuesday.

As a chief guest, Salman F Rahman, Private Sector Industry and Investment Adviser to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said in his speech that CEAB will play a very important and constructive role in making closer and stronger relationships for the two business communities of China and Bangladesh.

Rahman called on the Chinese businesses to attend the Bangladesh investment summit to be held in November. Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said that China attaches great importance to the economic and trade mechanism with Bangladesh, and Bangladesh’s exports to China are growing in double digits.

“China is also negotiating with Bangladesh on the early signing of the G-to-G (government-to-government)/PPP (Public Private Partnership) MoU, and looks forward to the early signing of the agreement with the continued help of Salman F Rahman.”

While already committed to peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060, China will also firmly support the green and low-carbon development of energy in Bangladesh, and will not build new coal-fired power projects in Bangladesh, the Chinese ambassador said.

Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Sirajul Islam said they are keenly interested in having more Chinese investment.

“We would really like to work together (with Chinese investors),” he said, calling on Chinese investors to attend the upcoming Bangladesh Investment Summit.

Jashim Uddin, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said China is a great development partner of Bangladesh. He said the Bangladeshi government has undertaken many mega development projects with Chinese support and China’s Belt and Road Initiative has brought excellent opportunities to Bangladesh.

President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Rizwan Rahman said China is one of the Covid-19 resilient economies of the world.

Following China’s footsteps, he said, Bangladesh is also a Covid-19 resilient economy.

President of the Bangladesh-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCCI) Gazi Golam Murtoza said excellent bilateral relations between the two countries have helped boost trade, commerce and investment between the two sides.

He said BCCCI has long been pursuing for further cooperation among businesses of the two countries.

In his welcome speech, CEAB president Ke Changliang said the forum is aimed at building further relations among Bangladesh-China businesses for further trade, commerce and investment.

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