Five to seven MoUs (Memorandums of understanding) will be signed during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit, senior officials of the foreign ministry said in Dhaka Thursday.
"The Chinese foreign minister will arrive in Dhaka on August 6 (Saturday) on a two-day visit, and he will have a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 7 in the morning," State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shariar Alam told newsmen.
He said Bangladesh is readying five to seven MoUs for signing during the visit of the Chinese foreign minister.
The accords include disaster-management cooperation, and cultural-and education- sector cooperation.
The state minister said Bangladesh always sticks to One-China Policy and will continue to do so.
Asked about the ongoing tensions centering the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, Mr Alam said Bangladesh urges all sides to show restraint as the world cannot afford another crisis now.
"We hope that the situation will not be deteriorated further and the issues will be resolved in line with the UN Charter," he adds.
Communications Minister Obadul Quader will host a dinner for the visiting Chinese foreign minister on August 6 evening.
Entire gamut of bilateral issues between China and Bangladesh will be discussed in the bilateral meeting and issues related to Chinese project implementation in Bangladesh, Rohingya repatriation will get special focus in talks, the journalists were told.
Responding to a question Mr Alam said, "Bangladesh will again request China to put pressure on Myanmar to expedite Rohingya repatriation because the one- million Rohingya refugees became a burden for Bangladesh economy."
To a question about the China loans, the state minister said Bangladesh always try to get maximum benefit in loan negotiations and the loans which were offered by China to Bangladesh are given at a very competitive interest rate.
The progress of the big projects implemented under Chinese loans will be reviewed during the Bangladesh-China meeting.
Agreement for these projects was signed in 2016, during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, but in course of time, many of these projects were deducted from the list and many new ones added.
In another development, the United States and Canada expressed their readiness to start humanitarian operations in Bhasanchar Island, a temporary abode for the refugees, the state minister mentioned.
Terming this a 'very good news' the state minister said recently the United Nations agreed to start operation in the island but the US and Canada did not join then.
Due to various propaganda about Bhasanchar, the international agencies were reluctant to extend their support to the Rohingya camps in the island. But, finally, they have agreed to start their operation.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com