China assures support to build deep-sea port

China has expressed its willingness to provide all out support to Bangladesh in building Cox's Bazar Sonadia deep-sea port and constructing a highway from Chittagong port city to Kunming in China via Myanmar.
After concluding a four-day official visit to China from Oct 19 to 22, State Minister for Environment and Forests Dr Hasan Mahmud provided the assurances at a press briefing at his office yesterday.
“We sought support from China to build Sonadia deep-sea port and construct Chittagong-Kunming Highway via Myanmar. Beijing has assured us of support in this regard,” he said.
He said that China also made assurances to give support in providing training among the officials of the Bangladesh Environment Directorate.
About the outcomes of the China visit, Hasan Mahmud said China expressed its willingness to work with Bangladesh in future apart from upcoming Climate Summit in Cancun, Mexico.
He said all bilateral cooperation in the areas of communication, trade and commerce as well as climate issues came up in the discussion prominently during his talks with Chinese leaders.
Dr Hasan said he held a meeting with chief climate negotiators in the UNFCCC climate talks and chairman of National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC) of China Xie Zhenhua.
He said: “China want to work with us on climate issues. We agree to stop pollution. We do not want to make historical blunders of the developed countries.”
The State Minister said China also expressed its willingness to release $10 million per year from a global climate fund for the developing countries as per the decision of the Copenhagen Climate Conference.
Hasan Mahmud said China will provide technical and financial assistance to face the adverse impacts of climate change.
During his China visit, he also called on Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister and Deputy Minister of Environment Protection Affairs.
Dr Hasan led a six-member Bangladesh delegation during the visit. Other members included Vice Chancellor of BRAC University Dr Ainun Nishat, Organizing Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Ahmed Hossain and Ambassador of Bangladesh to China Munshi Faiz Ahmad.