Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka Li Ziming said that this year coincides with the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Dhaka and Beijing, and China will honour Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the greatest father of Bangladesh in history.
“The whole of Bangladesh will celebrate the ‘Mujib Monsoon’ year and the Chinese Embassy will also celebrate this important event with Bangladeshi friends to express the Chinese people’s highest regard and respect for this great man,” he said.
In the evening, he delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the “2020 Happy Chinese New Year Celebration, China-Bangladesh Friendship and 45th Anniversary of Mujib” held at the Bangladesh National Theater at Hippakar College in the city.
The ambassador said that China is ready to cooperate with the government and the people of Bangladesh. The 45th anniversary is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the coordination of development strategies and jointly promote the “Belt and Road” initiative.
He said that over the past 45 years, China-Bangladesh relations based on mutual respect, mutual benefit and mutually beneficial results have stood the test of time and changes in the international situation and maintained a strong development momentum.
“China-Bangladesh relations are the best in history,” he said.
Last year, Dhaka’s biggest trade partner was still Beijing. As China’s direct investments in Bangladesh increased, various bilateral cooperation projects were started one after another.
He also said that China-Bangladesh people-to-people and cultural exchanges had made significant progress in 2012, with more than 37,000 Bangladeshis travelling to China and more than 5,000 Bangladeshi students studying in China.
The ambassador said that Bangladesh is looking forward to a new journey in 2020 and promoting the China-Bangladesh strategic cooperative partnership to a new level, increasing mutual understanding, sharing our governments and strengthening the China-Bangladesh community.
He recalled that the then Prime Minister Zhou Enlai visited China twice with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the 1950s and 1960s.
Long before the establishment of diplomatic relations, high-level leaders of the two countries had sown the seeds of friendship. He said it has now grown into a huge tree with deep roots and fruit.
Last week, the ambassador said the Bangladeshi prime minister had received a “Chinese New Year message” from People’s Leader Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in which the Bangladeshi prime minister looked respectfully at the centuries-old friendship between China and Bangladesh and looked to the future. to the future.
“She (Sheikh Hasina) sent her warm greetings to the Chinese people and government and wished the Chinese people common prosperity, peace, progress and happiness in the new year. We are very grateful,” he said.
KM Khalid, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, delivered a speech as the chief guest, addressing various aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries.
He expressed hope that relations will strengthen in the coming days. Director of Xinjiang Art Theater Li Yong and M. Delwar Hossain of Bangladesh-China Friendship Center spoke at the meeting.
Afterwards, a group of artists from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region performed colourful traditional performances.
Lunar New Year, commonly known as “New Year’s Eve”, is the most formal and joyous festival in Chinese culture.
The Chinese Embassy in Dhaka has been holding “Happy Chinese New Year” activities in Bangladesh for ten years, giving Bangladeshi people a chance to experience Chinese culture firsthand.
