China, Bangladesh upgrade bilateral ties as Xi visits

China and Bangladesh Friday signed 56 documents to enhance cooperation in areas such as telecommunication, infrastructure, finance and trade during President Xi Jinping’s historic visit to the country.

According to the agreements and the memorandums of understandings, China agreed to provide loans to Bangladesh for projects including roads, bridges, tunnels and power plants.

Xi and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina witnessed the signing ceremony after holding talks. The two leaders agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership of cooperation.

During the meeting, Xi said a closer partnership that the two sides forged in 2010 has yielded fruitful results, with bilateral cooperation advancing steadily in political, economic, cultural and security areas.

China highly values its friendly ties with Bangladesh and will continue to offer support for the economic and social development of the South Asian country, Xi said.

Hasina said Bangladesh admires China's economic achievement, and is ready to strengthen cooperation with China.

Bangladesh is willing to actively work with China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and support the building of an economic corridor linking Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar, added Hasina.

Xi arrived in Dhaka - the capital and largest city of Bangladesh - earlier in the day for a state visit, the first by a Chinese head of state to the nation in 30 years.

Dhaka is the second stop of Xi’s trip after Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is scheduled to fly to Goa, India, to attend the eighth BRICS Summit over the weekend.