POBNEWS24, Dhaka, July 6, 2023 : China today conveyed its interest to assist Bangladesh in managing monsoon flooding through river dredging, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
It said Chinese ambassador in Dhaka Yao Wen conveyed the offer calling upon foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at his office.
According the statement, the envoy made the offer as the issue of the prevailing monsoon and its impacts on possible flood situation and occurrence of flash floods in Bangladesh came up their discussion.
“The Chinese envoy offered to extend assistance for dredging the relevant rivers in Bangladesh for improving the capacity of the rivers to better manage the flood situations,” it read.
Momen appreciated the Beijing’s offer and reiterated Bangladesh’s commitments for further enhancing the ‘South-South Cooperation’ for greater collective benefit of the global South.
“He (Momen) observed that a developing country like Bangladesh could apply a lot of practical, simple and viable Chinese innovations for the benefit of the common people,” the statement said.
The ministry also pointed out Bangladesh’s innovative approaches like that of the Community Clinics introduced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which earned global appreciation.
The envoy reviewed the updates of different China-supported development projects in Bangladesh.
The foreign minister thanked China as a development partner and encouraged greater Chinese investment in Bangladesh to facilitate more job-creation and transfer of technology and skills.
“He (simultaneously) also stressed on initiatives for reducing the huge trade imbalance between the two countries,” the statement said.
The foreign minister reviewed the efforts for facilitating the desired repatriation of the Rohingyas, temporarily sheltered in Bangladesh on humanitarian grounds, to their homeland in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.
They also reviewed the ongoing bilateral cooperation in various multilateral and international forums.
The envoy extended an invitation to the foreign minister to various events in China.
