Senior CPC leader vows to deepen ties with Bangladesh

China is ready to deepen the good-neighborly and mutually-beneficial cooperative ties with Bangladesh, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader said in Dhaka on Sunday.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC, made the remarks during a meeting with Bangladeshi President Zillur Rahman.

"China and Bangladesh are friendly and close neighbors and their friendship dates back to a long time ago," Li said.

"China stands ready to work with Bangladesh to keep closer high-level contacts, expand pragmatic cooperation, advance people-to-people exchanges, and maintain closer multilateral coordination in order to safeguard peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia," he said.

Recalling Sino-Bangladeshi ties since the two countries established diplomatic relations 37 years ago, Li said the relations have witnessed healthy and smooth development, with both sides respecting and supporting each other on politics, cooperating for mutual benefits and common development in economy, and enjoying more vibrant exchanges and cooperation with fruitful results in other areas.

In 2010, China and Bangladesh decided to set up and develop a closer comprehensive partnership of cooperation to add new momentum to the bilateral ties and bring concrete benefits to the two peoples, Li said.

"Both China and Bangladesh are at a crucial moment in their development," Li said. "In this new situation, strengthening friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation between the two countries not only helps inject vitality to both countries' development, but also facilitates peace and development in the region."

For his part, Rahman said the Bangladesh-China relations are of crucial importance. Li's visit would certainly deepen the friendship between the two countries and elevate the bilateral ties to a new high, he said.

The Bangladeshi president thanked China for its timely and generous support for Bangladesh in the early stage of the country's development as well as in recent years when China is undergoing fast growth.

It helps to connect the hearts of the Bangladeshi people and the Chinese people, Rahman said.

Rahman also praised the CPC leadership in China's development, wishing a more successful future for China.

He expressed hope that Bangladesh will continue to receive economic and technological assistance from China as the South Asian country implements its "Digital Bangladesh" strategy.

"China is an active force in safeguarding peace and stability in South Asia," Rahman said. "We welcome a bigger role played by China and we will work with China to strive for a more prosperous Asia and a more peaceful world."