China, Bangladesh vow to further partnership

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) holds a welcoming ceremony for visiting Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wajed before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, June 9, 2014. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

China and Bangladesh pledged on Monday to further promote their comprehensive partnership of cooperation.

The pledge was made during talks between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Wajed, who is also here for the second China-South Asia Expo in Kunming of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Bangladesh is China's important cooperative partner in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. China is ready to take the 40th anniversary of their ties in 2015 as an opportunity to promote mutual political trust, deepen cooperation, make closer communication and push forward their comprehensive partnership of cooperation, Li said.

He noted that China attaches high importance to the relations with South Asian nations, and hoped Bangladesh would support China's cooperation with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The premier added that China and Bangladesh share great potential for cooperation. China hopes to expand bilateral cooperation in areas including trade, investment, energy, communication, infrastructure construction, technology, agriculture, ocean and disaster prevention and relief.

China will encourage companies to invest in Bangladesh and set up joint ventures, and hopes Bangladesh can provide support in this regard, Li said.

He also called on the two countries to promote the establishment of a joint rice research center to carry out hybrid rice experiment, demonstration and promotion; to expand inter-communication cooperation, make joint efforts for an early harvest program of the economic corridor along China, Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, and push for the signing of a four-party agreement this year to push forward the corridor construction; to strengthen multilateral cooperation, protect interests of developing countries and jointly cope with global challenges.