Bangladesh's Ambassador to China Ashfaqur Rahman has been recalled to Dhaka to brief the higher authorities on the Chinese stance on the latest issue. He will be thoroughly briefed on Dhaka's position in the latest context.

The foreign ministry however declined to comment on the issue.

Furious at the opening of an unofficial Taiwanese trade office in Dhaka, China recently warned Bangladesh that such permission would definitely push the bilateral relations between the two countries into jeopardy.

The Asian giant also asked the government to shut down the office immediately as a proof of Bangladesh's 'claimed' stance on "one-China policy", the sources said.

The foreign ministry is now looking into various government statements of China and Bangladesh over bilateral matters and the Taiwan issue so that Dhaka can clarify to Beijing on the discord.

"If the tension between the two countries heightens, Dhaka might send a special envoy to Beijing soon to reaffirm that Bangladesh greatly values its ties with China and firmly believes in one-China policy with Taiwan as its province," a foreign ministry official, asking not to be named, pointed out.

The Chinese embassy recently noted that a Taiwanese trade representative office has been opened in Dhaka and that it is issuing visa. Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Chai Xi recently met several senior ministers and policymakers and vented out anger of his government.

Beijing also raised questions about the role of the Board of Investment (BoI), which is promoting trade with Taiwan by letting it register its trade office in Dhaka.

A minister with whom the Chinese ambassador met earlier quoted the envoy as telling him that the Taiwan issue will not only have a negative impact on bilateral relations, but it will leave unimaginable damage for Bangladesh as well.

The ambassador quoting Chinese intelligence report also told the minister Beijing also had information that a quarter within the government and a particular ministry allowed Taiwan to open its office against huge bribe.

Sources said the ministers and policymakers assured the ambassador of urgently looking into the matter and informed him police seized the signboard of the trade representative on Monday night.

As the foreign ministry is trying desperately to heal China's wounds, the BoI kept on promoting the Taiwan's Dhaka trade office until yesterday.

Mahmudur Rahman, executive chairman of BoI, told the UNB yesterday that it is a trade facilitating office, not linked to diplomacy.

"This is in no way indicative of any deviation from Bangladesh's one-China-policy. I find no reason for China to worry that Bangladesh has changed its foreign policy," Rahman told the news agency.

He added a Taiwanese delegation would be visiting Dhaka later this month, followed by a 71-member business delegation in April to explore investment opportunities in Bangladesh. He claimed Taiwan would also import manpower through the new trade representative office registered under the BoI Act.

Foreign ministry officials however could not say whether the BoI could allow such a country to open its trade office with whom Bangladesh does not have diplomatic ties.

Bangladesh-China People's Friendship Association in a press release strongly protested the launch of the trade office and asked the government to cancel the permission for such an office for the sake of the 'long-term interest' of Bangladesh.