China positive about building Ctg-Kunming road link
China positive about building Ctg-Kunming road link
China today responded positively to a Bangladesh's formal proposal to build the proposed road connectivity from Chittagong to Kunming via Cox’s Bazar and Myanmar.
"We have floated the idea of building road connectivity for the first time officially in the meeting and they [China] took it positively saying it is a good proposal," Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque told journalists emerging from a bilateral meeting between the Bangladesh and Chinese foreign ministers.
The meeting between visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and his Bangladesh counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali took place at the foreign ministry for three-hour where they discussed series of bilateral issues and economic co-operations.
The foreign secretary said both sides agreed to strengthen friendly relations and economic cooperation between the countries.
At the meeting, China has proposed to begin negotiations for free-trade agreement (FTA) to narrow down the trade imbalance with Bangladesh.
The two-way trade crossed $10 billion mark, but heavily tilted towards China.
Issues including construction of deep-seaport at Sonadia Island, investment in infrastructure and power sector, military cooperation, among others were also discussed, added the foreign secretary.
Meanwhile, the Chinese minister met with BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia at her Gulshan residence this evening.
China believes that the ongoing political standoff will be resolved through a dialogue and consensus among the two major political parties in Bangladesh, BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury told journalists quoting Wang Yi.