China ready to implement Teesta project
China’s Ambassador to Dhaka Yao Wen said that China is ready to implement this project. However, Bangladesh will have to make an independent decision in this regard.
He said this at a press conference on Bangladesh-China relations at the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday.
In response to a question from journalists, the Chinese ambassador said, “Testa is a river in your area, you have to make your own decision. However, Bangladesh will benefit if this project is started quickly.”
Yao Wen said, “In 2021, the Bangladesh government sent a proposal seeking China’s assistance for the Teesta project. After evaluating the project, China reported to the Bangladesh government in 2023 that the project they gave should be revised as there were some unnecessary elements in the project. But since then, we have not received any response from the Bangladesh government.”
Citing the selection of the three best hospitals in China’s Kunming province for the treatment of Bangladeshi patients, the ambassador said that relevant parties from the two countries are working on overall preparations, including the type of treatment, visa facilitation, and selection of interpreters. If all goes well, Beijing expects the first batch of Bangladeshi patients to travel to Kunming for treatment in early March.
Last month, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain visited Beijing. At that time, he first proposed establishing a Bangladesh-China Friendship Hospital. China immediately embraced the proposal to treat Bangladeshis as an alternative to India. At a press conference, the Chinese ambassador said that China is waiting for a detailed proposal from Bangladesh to build a hospital in Dhaka.
In addition, China will provide specialized modern equipment for the treatment and rehabilitation of those injured in the July-August coup, as per their previous decision. 20 modern robot-controlled equipment for the treatment and rehabilitation center set up in a hospital in Dhaka will arrive in Dhaka early next month.
Responding to a question about the future cooperation between the two countries, the ambassador said that for the past 50 years, the two countries have been cooperating with each other for common interests. China has always attached importance to Bangladesh. Regardless of the internal situation in Bangladesh, China’s policy is to be friendly with all people in this country, keeping mutual respect, equality and interests in mind.
Hoping that this foundation of friendship between the two countries will never change, he said, China will continue to cooperate in protecting the sovereignty and national unity of Bangladesh.
The ambassador also said that the Foreign Advisor has chosen China for his first bilateral visit. This is a clear message of the political relations and cooperation between the two countries. At the same time, it is an additional opportunity to consolidate and deepen mutual trust and friendship between the two countries. Describing China and Bangladesh as good neighbors and reliable partners, Tunni said that this relationship will not be affected by changes in world politics or the internal situation in Bangladesh. Rather, it will always move forward with great speed.
Since the fall of Hasina’s dictatorship in the bloody uprising of the students and the masses on August 5, there has been a new polarization in the Dhaka-Delhi relationship. Will this have any impact on regional peace and stability? When asked, Ambassador Yao Wen gave a tactful reply. He said that the question should be put to the Indian ambassador, not to China. However, he hopes that any issue should be resolved through bilateral talks.
Asked whether China would mediate to reduce tension between Dhaka and Delhi, the ambassador said, “I think Bangladeshis are prudent enough to solve their own problems.”
In response to a question, Yao Wen said that reforms and elections are Bangladesh’s internal issues. China will not comment on this. He also said that the Chinese Communist Party wants to maintain good relations with all political parties in this country.
The ambassador said that China has proposed to establish a Chinese cultural center in Bangladesh and a Bangladeshi cultural center in China in exchange for cultural programs between the two countries.
He mentioned that Bangladesh and China have similar positions on the Rohingya issue. The ambassador said that Beijing’s attention has been drawn to the incorrect map of the China-Arunachal border in Bangladesh’s textbooks and websites. This has also been conveyed to the Bangladesh government. The ambassador hopes that Bangladesh’s steps will reflect China’s expectations.
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