Shawdesh Desk:

Inviting Chinese investors to join hands in transforming Bangladesh at this ‘very strategic moment’, chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday called for building a future together which can touch the sky by exploring extensive opportunities that Bangladesh offers.

‘We have to build a future together which can touch the sky. That’s the potential we have together. I invite you to explore the extensive opportunities that Bangladesh offers,’ he said while speaking at the inaugural session of the China-Bangladesh Conference on Investment and Trade.

Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao, executive chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority and Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen, among others, spoke at the event.

Professor Yunus said the engagement of the Chinese investors signifies a new chapter in Bangladesh-China relations and hoped that China will help Bangladesh see a similar transformation.

The chief adviser said this is a new journey that will continue to explore new horizons.

Professor Yunus recalled that he requested Chinese president Xi Jinping to encourage the Chinese investors to engage in Bangladesh. ‘I am honoured that president Xi followed it up.’

Describing China as a master of manufacture, he laid emphasis on building partnership between the two countries for mutual benefits.

Professor Yunus said BIDA has been restructured and the new BIDA is committed to facilitating the investment journey of the Chinese investors.

Minister Wang said that China was willing to help Bangladesh improve its export capacity, promote the integrated development of trade and investment, jointly maintain the multilateral trading system and inject more stability and certainty into the world economy.

He said China is also willing to work with Bangladesh to implement the important economic and trade consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.

The Chinese minister laid emphasis on promoting the continuous development of the China-Bangladesh comprehensive strategic partnership, strengthening cooperation in trade, e-commerce, production and supply chains and investment.

Minister Wang, who is visiting Bangladesh, said that over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China, the two countries have always supported each other, treated each other as equals, and cooperated for mutual benefit.

Minister Wang met with commerce adviser Sk Bashir Uddin on Saturday and the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on deepening China-Bangladesh economic and trade cooperation.

Bashir said that Bangladesh and China have a profound friendship and China is Bangladesh’s most important partner.

He welcomed more Chinese companies to invest and start businesses in Bangladesh and was willing to strengthen cooperation with China in agriculture, manufacturing, e-commerce and other fields to promote more balanced development of bilateral trade.

Bangladesh firmly supports free trade, upholds WTO rules and promotes inclusive development of global trade.

After the meeting, the two sides jointly signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Working Group on Facilitated Trade and the Memorandum of Understanding on E-Commerce Cooperation.