PM leaves for Beijing tomorrow on 4-day visit

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to leave for Beijing tomorrow morning on a four-day bilateral visit, to elevate the relations between the two countries.

Dhaka aims to promote Beijing ties to “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership” from “strategic partnership”.

A chartered flight (BG1701) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, carrying the PM and her entourage, is scheduled to depart from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11:00am and land at the Beijing Capital International Airport at 6:00pm (Beijing time).

During her stay from July 8 to 11, the premier is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jingping, alongside a delegation-level bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Li Qiang on July 10.

Bangladesh and China are likely to sign 20 to 22 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during this time.

Agreements are likely to be signed on cooperation in the economic and banking sector, trade and investment, digital economy, infrastructure development, assistance in disaster management, construction of 6th and 9th Bangladesh-China friendship bridges, export of agricultural products from Bangladesh, and people-to-people connectivity, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said today at a press conference at the foreign ministry.

Hasan said the inauguration of a number of projects of the two countries will also be announced.

This visit comes a fortnight after her last visit to India from June 21 to 22.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh in October 2016 when the relationship between the two countries was elevated to a “strategic partnership”.

Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina last visited Beijing in July 2019.