Main focus to be on economic, trade ties

Economic cooperation with focus on infrastructure development in southern Bangladesh under a megaproject, FTA, trade support and geopolitical affairs like ties with India and the US may dominate the scheduled bilateral meeting between Bangladesh and China in Beijing on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to leave for Beijing this (Monday) morning on a four-day visit during which she would hold separate bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People.
A proposed free-trade agreement or FTA, a US$5 billion worth of trade support in RMB, negotiations on reduction in Chinese lending rate, Rohingya repatriation and the much-talked-about Teesta project will come up during the talks, officials said.
"The agenda of the meeting will follow the issues discussed in the consultation held recently by the delegations of the foreign ministries of the two countries," said one of the sources in Dhaka.
In line with that meeting, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, economic cooperation, military exchange and cooperation, coordination in multilateral affairs, relations with the United States and IPS, regional situation of South Asia and relations with India, and forced displacement of Myanmar nationals are likely to come up during the discussions between two sides, highly placed sources said.
Bangladesh has proposed 12 MoUs on different projects and 6 others on sectoral cooperation, sources said.
From China's part, there are proposed two memorandums of understanding for signing.
"There may be a couple of more as both sides are still working on those", said one official.
Recently, China forwarded drafts of the two MoUs - on cooperation on economic-development policy, and Green-carbon development - to the foreign ministry in Dhaka through the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing, a senior official said.
According to the draft MoU on cooperation on economic -development policy, both sides 'will, under the guidance of the important consensus of the national leaders of the two countries, focus on policy exchange and experience sharing in macro-economy, industrial development planning and sustainable development etc in conjunction with their respective functions, so as to serve practical cooperation' between them.
The draft deal on green-carbon development states: 'based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, the parties will carry out green and low-carbon- development cooperation according to different national circumstances, with the goal of promoting green and low-carbon economic and social development and promote sustainable development.
"The Chinese Party is willing to share with the Bangladesh Party the theory and practical experiences of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and jointly make positive contributions to global ecological civilization development," the draft reads.
The Bangladesh-proposed 12 MoUs on infrastructure projects are (1) Southern Integrated Development Initiatives Various Ministries (SIDI) (2) Construction of China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge on Kocha River at Pirojpur District (3) Construction of Bhanga Barishal-Kuakata road (4) Establishment of Special Economic Zone (5) Renovation of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (6) Construction of Maheshkhali/Matarbari- Bakhrabad 3rd Parallel Gas Transmission Pipeline (7) Construction of Sewage Treatment Plant in Local Government Mirpur Division (8) Metro Rail Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line-2) (9) Renovation of Bangabandhu International Convention Center (BICC) (10) Construction of High-Tech Bridge on Rural Local Government Roads (11) Construction of the Sewage Collection System under Dasherkandi STP Catchment of Dhaka City and (12) Procurement of four New Vessels.
Among these, a special focus will be given on the 'Southern Integrated Development Initiatives (SIDI), which is a 'significant and unique effort involving projects across multiple sectors, including transport and communications, ICT, development of ports, power and energy, Special Economic Zone, and logistics hubs.
The SIDI initiative is the first of its kind among bilateral partners and has significant implications for enhancing commerce, trade, and investment.
The Prime Minister will leave for Beijing by a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at 11 am on Monday and is expected to reach Beijing at 6 pm on the day.
On Tuesday, she will meet Mr Jin Liquin, President of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Then she will attend a conference on 'Summit on trade, business and investment opportunities between Bangladesh and China'.
Later, she will have a bilateral meeting with Chairman of the 14th national committee of Chinese People's Consultative Conference (CPPCC). In the afternoon, she will visit the Tienenman Square and later will join a dinner hosted by the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing.
On July 10, she will meet her counterpart, Chinese premier Li Qiang, at the Great Hall of the People.
In the afternoon, she will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping which will be followed by a joint statement.
The prime minister's Beijing mission is taking place close on the heels of her Delhi visit twice in close succession.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to fly back in Dhaka on July 11 at 2 pm.
Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, Finance Minister AH Mahmood Ali and PM's adviser on private investment affairs Salman F Rahman, state minister for ICT Junaid Ahmed Palak, state minister for power and energy Nasrul Hamid Bipu and state minister for commerce Ahsannul Islam Titu will accompany the Prime Minister on the tour. A delegation of business leaders is also traveling with her.

[email protected]