Upgraded ties usher in new era for China-Bangladesh cooperation

ENHANCING SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION

Xi's visit to Bangladesh, one of the least developed countries listed by the United Nations, is also aimed at promoting South-South cooperation and inclusive development under the consensus reached at the G20 Hangzhou summit.

During the meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Abdul Hamid, Xi said the two sides agreed to make unremitting efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and push forward South-South cooperation.

The two sides have already shown similarity in their development goals and great potential for further cooperation.

During his talks with Hasina on Friday, Xi said China stands ready to push forward bilateral practical cooperation by aligning the development strategies of the two countries, noting that China is striving for its "two centenary goals" while Bangladesh is pursuing its "Sonar Bangla" dream of national strength and prosperity.

The "two centenary goals" refer to China's aspiration to finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the Communist Party of China celebrates its centenary in 2021 and turn the People's Republic of China into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, and harmonious by the time it celebrates its centenary in 2049.

Bangladesh, with its "Sonar Bangla" dream, aims to become a middle-income country by 2021 and a developed one by 2041.

China is now the largest trading partner of Bangladesh, and Bangladesh is China's third-largest trading partner and third-largest project contract market in South Asia with bilateral trade reaching $14.7 billion in 2015.

China-made products, ranging from daily necessities to large machinery, can be found all over Bangladesh.

Industries such as communications and automobiles, in which China has technology and Bangladesh has great demand, hold vast potential for cooperation, said Jiang Jingkui, director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Peking University.

With China's support, Bangladesh implemented in June the country's largest-ever information and communication technology (ICT) project to connect nearly 20,000 government offices across the country.

The project, undertaken by companies including Huawei and China Machinery Engineering Corporation, has been considered a main project for building a digital Bangladesh by 2021.

"Xi's visit signals the beginning of a new era and a new height for China-Bangladesh relations. There will be more and more fruitful cooperation in the development of highways, railways, energy, power and communication," Chai said.