China wants Bangladesh on its side

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has thanked Bangladesh for reiterating its support for One-China Policy while sharing in detail that some countries "misunderstand and misinterpret" them and they need to follow international rules.

"They have their position. We largely know it... Taiwan belongs to China…," said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam after the meeting between Wang Yi and Bangladesh's Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at Sonargaon Hotel this morning (August 7, 2022) – from 7:30am to 9am.

They signed four MoUs on disaster management, cultural cooperation, marine science and hand over of 8th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge in Pirojpur.

In the closed-door meeting, Wang Yi also spoke about China's global development initiative in detail, Shahriar Alam said.

"It is up to them [China] how much they would disclose," he said as he was asked what China shared about those policies.

Chinese Foreign Minister is visiting Bangladesh as part of his regional tour when US-China tension has escalated with the US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last week. China has conducted military exercise in the Taiwan Straits.

Amid the tension, Bangladesh on August 4 issued a statement reiterating its support for One-China Principle that Wang Yi has appreciated.

Wang Yi told Momen that all people have equal rights to a good life and China wants to work together with all countries. China wants Bangladesh to be on its side, he said.

"We need joint collaboration for a shared future for all people of the world," Shahriar Alam quoted the Chinese Minister as saying.

Wang Yi assured of continuing Chinese support for Rohingya repatriation as Momen said that prolonged stay of the Rohingyas here is worsening the law-and-order situation in Bangladesh.

"Chinese Minister said China is trying to reduce Myanmar's internal challenges. Not only Bangladesh but other countries are also facing problems for this," Alam said.

China would work for political solution, which is repatriation, he added.

China now provides duty-free facility to 97 percent of items from Bangladesh and it would be increased to 98 percent from September 1.

Shahriar Alam said he expects that textile and woven products would be included in the one additional percent of items and that will help boost Bangladesh's export to China.

China will also start issuing visas and travel permits to the Bangladeshi students in a day or two. A several thousand students were stuck here as China was following Covid restrictions.

After a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Chinese foreign minister left Dhaka around 11am.