China willing to help build deep-sea port
China has expressed its willingness to cooperate with other countries in helping Bangladesh build its first deep-sea port at any location, as the Bangladesh government no longer considers appropriate the previously proposed Sonadia site.
Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka Ma Mingqiang expressed the willingness at “DCAB Talk”, organised by Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) in the capital's Jatiya Press Club yesterday with its president, Angur Nahar Monty, in the chair.
The government is now considering building a deep seaport at Payra in Patuakhali and a number of countries, including China, India and some in the Middle East and Europe, want to invest in different components of the project, according to government sources.
On Chinese investment in Bangladesh, the ambassador said it was growing. “This year there will be something different. This year will be different.”
He said there should be a need for investment, in which case it would automatically come in. “Many Chinese groups are coming to Bangladesh in recent times,” he said.
According to Chinese customs statistics, the trade volume has reached US$ 14.7 billion in 2015, although still overwhelmingly in deficit for Bangladesh and surplus for China.
“We need to have balanced trade to make it sustainable. We cannot offset the trade deficit simply by doing trade,” the ambassador said, mentioning that more direct Chinese investment can help minimise the gap.
He said Bangladesh needs to build up manufacturing capacity to produce more products so it could “catch up” to Chinese demand.
He assured that industrial capacity cooperation was a major part of the “Road & Belt Initiative”.
China and Bangladesh recently reached census on building the eighth China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge and the China-Bangladesh Friendship Exposition Center in Purbachal while China would assist in renovating Bangabandhu International Conference Centgre, he added.
On military cooperation, he said both sides were willing to strengthen cooperation.
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