Upgraded ties usher in new era for China-Bangladesh cooperation

DHAKA -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday completed a two-day state visit to Bangladesh, during which the two countries agreed to upgrade their ties to a strategic partnership of cooperation.

The visit, the first by a Chinese head of state to the South Asian country in three decades, heralds a new era for cooperation between the two countries, which established contact through ancient silk routes more than 2,000 years ago.

A MILESTONE VISIT

President Xi's "historic visit", called by local newspapers, started with the highest tribute to a foreign president from the Bangladeshi side. Xi was received on Friday at the airport by his Bangladeshi counterpart, Abdul Hamid, and given a 21-gun salute. The host country dispatched fighter jets to escort Xi's plane after it entered Bangladesh's airspace.

In Dhaka, posters with pictures of President Xi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Abdul Hamid, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, are adorning all the major streets and junctions across the city.

During Xi's visit, the two countries agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership of cooperation, raising the bilateral relationship to a new level.

During his meeting with Hasina on Friday, Xi said the closer comprehensive partnership of cooperation the two sides forged in 2010 has yielded fruitful results, with bilateral cooperation advancing steadily in political, economic, cultural and security areas and on international and regional affairs.

After their talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a string of cooperation documents covering such areas as the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative, production capacity cooperation, information and telecommunication, energy and power, diplomatic affairs, maritime affairs, disaster prevention and alleviation, and climate change.

They also pledged to map out new major cooperation projects, especially in such key areas as infrastructure construction, transportation, information and telecommunication and agriculture.

"Given the high-level political mutual trust and advanced cooperation in many areas between China and Bangladesh, the upgrade (of bilateral ties) was perfectly timed and proper, charting the course for future development of bilateral ties," former Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Chai Xi said.