Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina to visit China next week

Beijing: At the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the People's Republic of Bangladesh will pay an official visit to China from July 8 to 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.

"This will be Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's first visit to China since her new term began and five years after her last visit to China," Mao said at a daily press briefing, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also meet the Bangladeshi Prime Minister.

Premier Li Qiang will hold a welcoming ceremony and have talks with her, Mao said, noting that the two heads of government will attend the signing ceremony of cooperation documents.

The spokesperson said that leaders of the two countries will have an in-depth exchange of views on how to deepen traditional friendship and expand mutually beneficial cooperation and on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Hasina will also attend the summit on trade, business and investment opportunities between China and Bangladesh, Xinhua reported.

"China and Bangladesh are good neighbours, good friends and good partners. We have similar visions for development and well-aligned development strategies," Mao said, pointing out that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 49 years ago, the two countries have treated each other with respect and equality, engaged in mutually beneficial cooperation, supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests, and jointly advanced modernisation.

Mao said that the two sides have set a good example of friendship and cooperation between developing countries. In recent years, with the strategic guidance and commitment of leaders of the two countries, the two sides have deepened China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership, and had fruitful and practical cooperation in various fields.

China stands ready to work with Bangladesh through this visit to carry forward the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, deepen political mutual trust, further synergise development strategies, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, speed up implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and elevate the bilateral relations to a new level, she said.