'Important milestone' in 35 years of bilateral ties

Dhaka, Bangladesh -Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh is paying an official visit to China from March 17 - 21 at the invitation of China's Premier Wen Jiabao.

This visit will go down as an important milestone in the history of the ever-flourishing friendship and cooperation between our two countries. This is in fact, the beginning of a new chapter of an even closer "comprehensive partnership of cooperation".

Relations between Bangladesh and China go back to antiquity. Our ties, however, became formal with the establishment of diplomatic relations 35 years ago. Since then our bilateral relations, based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual understanding and respect, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, have grown steadily in content and dimension.

Bangladesh has always supported China on her core national interests and in line with this, Bangladesh considers Taiwan and Tibet as integral parts of China. China, on the other hand, remains a major partner in Bangladesh's socio-economic development endeavor, providing Bangladesh with technical and financial assistance for building bridges, roads, power plants, factories, convention centers etc.

I would like to take this opportunity to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to the Chinese people and leaders for the continued support rendered to Bangladesh in all possible ways.

Our two countries also enjoy excellent cooperation in a wide range of other areas including trade and investment, agriculture, science and technology, national defense, education, culture, sports and tourism.

Bangladesh and China have always cooperated with each other and coordinated their positions on various issues of common interest in the international arena. We share common perceptions on many regional and international issues such as human rights, climate change, UN reforms, non-proliferation, terrorism and regional cooperation.

The forthcoming visit of our prime minister to China will certainly help further deepen and expand the existing friendly cooperation between our two countries.

The prime minister is expected to hold official talks with her counterpart Premier Wen Jiabao and will have meetings with President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders. While these meetings will help renew her acquaintances with the Chinese leadership, it will also allow both sides to exchange ideas on issues of mutual concern and cooperation.

I am confident that this would be an opportunity to understand each other better and help us make concerted efforts to provide further boost to the excellent relations that exist between the two countries for the benefit of our two peoples.

This year, Bangladesh and China will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Thus, the visit of the Bangladesh prime minister at this time bears special significance and will generate a lot of enthusiasm and interest among the officials, businesspersons, entrepreneurs, academicians as well as the people on the street of both the countries.

We congratulate the Chinese people and their leaders on the sustained phenomenal development achieved by China over the last three decades.

We firmly believe that they will continue to march forward in the same pace in the decades ahead. We hope to learn and benefit from China's experience and progress.

I wish the prime minister's visit to China a complete success.

I also wish grand success for the World Expo and the Asian Games to be hosted by China later this year in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

I wish the friendly people of China continuous peace, prosperity and progress.

Long live Bangladesh-China friendship.

The author Dipu Moni is Foreign Minister of Bangladesh

(China Daily 03/18/2010 page15)