Bangladesh, China Agree to Enhance Cooperation on Water Management and Investment

Bangladesh and China have agreed to strengthen cooperation in water resource management, including the Teesta Master Plan, river dredging, flood risk mitigation, erosion control, irrigation, and inland navigation development, according to Prime Minister's Adviser and Spokesperson Mahdi Amin.

Speaking at a press conference at the Diaoyutai Hotel in central Beijing on Thursday, Mahdi Amin said the agreement was reached during a meeting between the Prime Minister and Chinese Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying.

According to Amin, the Chinese minister expressed strong interest in working closely with Bangladesh in the water sector and offered cooperation in research, training, and institutional capacity building.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also held a party-to-party meeting with Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC), at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to deepen long-term economic cooperation, promote sustainable growth, and strengthen bilateral relations for mutual prosperity.

The Chinese side reaffirmed its support for Bangladesh's sovereignty, security, and development while expressing interest in expanding political, economic, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. Both sides also pledged to elevate Bangladesh-China relations through greater cooperation in development, investment, connectivity, and party-to-party engagement.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Communist Party of China during the meeting.

Mahdi Amin announced that the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The meeting is expected to focus on issues of mutual interest, including trade, investment, economic cooperation, and broader bilateral relations.

The spokesperson said several senior executives from major Chinese industrial groups and state-owned enterprises met the Prime Minister during the visit. Representatives from organizations including the China International Development Cooperation Agency, China Railway Construction Corporation, and China Road and Bridge Corporation discussed opportunities to expand investment and trade cooperation with Bangladesh.

Highlighting Bangladesh's investment potential, the Prime Minister invited Chinese businesses to invest in the country, saying that ongoing economic and administrative reforms are positioning Bangladesh as a competitive, reliable, and profitable destination for manufacturing and industrial development.

Mahdi Amin said the government is implementing a special 180-day action plan to improve the investment climate. Initiatives include the development of economic zones in Anwara and Mongla, the establishment of Bangladesh's first investment office in China, and the introduction of incentives for priority sectors. He added that new investment licenses will be issued within 15 days under the proposed reforms.

The spokesperson noted that the visit aims to strengthen Bangladesh-China cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, employment generation, education, culture, information technology, healthcare, and people-to-people connectivity.

He expressed optimism that the visit would help elevate bilateral relations to a new level and create fresh opportunities for economic growth and development in both countries.

Officials from the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Bangladesh Embassy in China were also present at the press briefing.