Chinese ambassador in Dhaka Ma Mingqiang has said that Beijing will help Bangladesh to develop as they wish to “grow together” with neighbours.
Published : 22 Aug 2015, 10:21 PM
“China will be with Bangladesh,” the envoy said in Dhaka on Saturday while remembering Chinese great leader Deng Xiaoping on his 110th birth anniversary.
Deng Xiaoping Study Centre has organised the event where speakers also stressed on the importance of Sino-Bangla relations for the mutual benefits.
Xiaoping was the most powerful figure in the People's Republic of China from the late 1970s until his death in 1997.
He is remembered as the great reformist as it was due to him China opened up to the world in the late 70s.
He engineered reforms in almost all aspects of China's political, economic and social life and restored the country’s domestic stability and economic growth.
The ambassador said Xiaoping was a “pragmatic” leader and he was “concerned” about the future of China and its people since his young age.
“He was a great politician with huge loyalty to his believe,” he said, referring to many ups and downs in Xiaoping’s long political career.
“He was removed from his position three times and he came back again and again before he became the paramount leader of China,” he said.
The ambassador said it was due to his reform China now became a big economic power.
“The world economy is also benefitting from this,” he said, “When China’s economy grows, global economy grows. When Chinese economy slows down, world economy slows down”.
He said Xiaoping anticipated that there would be no imminent world war and that’s why he shifted the focus from security to development.
“And China grew,” he said, but “we remained as a socialist country with Chinese characteristics, and a democracy”.
“We have our own democracy,” he said.
The envoy said China’s development could be a “reference” for Bangladesh, “not model”.
He said Bangladesh could learn from China’s “strengths” and “shortcomings” during the development process.
He also stressed on increasing Dhaka-Beijing ties and said: “We’ll try to help Bangladesh in our capacity.”
He referred to the various infrastructure projects in Bangladesh funded by China, and said, “We wish to grow together.”
The ambassador also encouraged Bangladeshi businesses to sell more to China instead of buying to offset the trade gap.
“Let’s work together. Let’s dream together,” he said.
Senior journalist Amanullah Kabir, speaking at the event, highlighted the importance of good China- Bangladesh relations in the geo-political context.
He said the relation was “important” for both the countries.
He said Bangladesh being a neighbour to two emerging powers --India and China – it should adopt a balanced foreign policy.
“If we tilt towards a particular country, then it’ll threaten the sovereignty (of Bangladesh),” he said.
He, however, said China was a “trusted and close friend” of Bangladesh.
“Its policy is not to interfere in the affairs of other countries,” he said.
Mohammad Delwar Hossain, convenor of the Deng Xiaoping Study Centre, presented a paper on the life and politics of the leader.
“If you want to understand China today you must understand Deng Xiaoping first,” he said.
He said it was due to him, China achieved great success in modernisation of science and technology after the reform.