Dhaka banks on Beijing boost
Economic and financial assistance for infrastructure development, trade deficit and regional connectivity will dominate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's talks with her Chinese counterpart during her 5-day official visit beginning March 17.
Highly placed sources said officials are busy fine-tuning the programme schedules to make this high profile visit, after the India visit in January, a complete success.
Dhaka is pinning high hopes on opening up a new chapter in Sino-Bangla bilateral relations to minimise the yawning trade imbalance. This will be Sheikh Hasina's second visit as prime minister since she visited China in September 1996.
The prime minister is scheduled to reach Beijing on Wednesday afternoon at the invitation of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Hasina will lead an 87-member delegation, comprised of her family members, party policymakers, ministers, MPs, journalists, eminent citizens.
As per the schedule, Hasina will hold bilateral talks with her counterpart Wen Jiabao on March 18 when the two counties are expected to sign four deals, including construction of a fertiliser factory, Chinese investment in Bangladesh's oil and gas field, waiver of a $800 million loan from China.
Foreign ministry sources said Chinese assistance for various projects in Bangladesh, including construction of the seventh Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge, Chittagong-Myanmar-Kunming Highway and a Bangladesh-China exhibition centre, a deep-sea port at Sonadia Island in Cox's Bazar and some power plants, will be sought during the talks.
Officials said Dhaka's concern on the issue of balance of trade tilted in favour of Beijing is also expected to figure in the talks. The bilateral trade volume between the two countries amounted to about $4.67 billion in 2008 with the balance of trade tilted heavily in favour of Beijing.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Bangladesh imported 18 percent of its goods from China in 2007-2008 pushing Dhaka's trade deficit with Beijing to $3.8 billion.
They said regional connectivity will get top priority at the talks. Dhaka would attach top priority to construction of the Chittagong-Teknaf railroad to be connected with China's Yunnan province via Myanmar in future, they added.
During her stay in China, Hasina will call on the Chinese president on March 19 and visit Kunming the next day. She is expected to return here on March 21.
Her delegation members include Finance Minister Abul Maal Abul Muhith, Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Industries Minister Dilip Barua, Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, AL leader Kazi Zafrullah and State Minister for CHT Affairs Dipankar Talukder.
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