China appreciates Bangladesh’s role in solving Rohingya issue with Myanmar

Appreciating Dhaka’s role in dealing the Rohingya refugee crisis, a visiting Chinese minister says they are “happy” to see Bangladesh engage with Myanmar.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 7 Dec 2017, 03:04 PM
Updated : 7 Dec 2017, 03:04 PM

Assistant Minister of International Department of Communist Party of China (IDCPC) Wang Yajun has also reiterated Beijing’s position to resolve the crisis through “dialogue and consultation” between the countries.

He was addressing politicians, academicians and think-tank in Dhaka on Thursday on the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Ruling Awami League lawmaker Muhammad Faruk Khan urged China’s full support to end the crisis.

Replying to a question, the assistant minister said China “fully” understands the pressure Bangladesh facing in social, environmental and economic aspects.

“It is the principal duty of Chinese side to pursue the settlement through dialogue and consultation,” he said, referring to the recent Chinese proposal of a three-stage solution to the crisis.

“We’ll continue our support,” he said.

Earlier in the ASEM meeting in Myanmar, China called for a ceasefire in Myanmar's Rakhine State so that Rohingya Muslim refugees can return from Bangladesh, proposing a three-stage approach to the crisis.

More than 600,000 Muslim Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh since late August, driven out by a military clearance operation in Buddhist-majority Myanmar's Rakhine State.

Amid a burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe, rights groups have accused the Myanmar military of atrocities.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi after his visit to Bangladesh had said Beijing believed Myanmar and Bangladesh could work out a mutually acceptable way to end the crisis.

"The first phase is to affect a ceasefire on the ground, to return to stability and order, so the people can enjoy peace and no longer be forced to flee," China's foreign ministry had later said in a statement, citing Wang.

"As a friend of both Myanmar and Bangladesh, China is willing to keep playing a constructive role for the appropriate handling of the Rakhine State issue," Wang had said.

The visiting assistant minister said the Bangladesh government has made “tremendous efforts” to properly settle the refugees and made “positive and proactive” efforts for dialogue and consultation with Myanmar.

He expressed China’s “high appreciation” for the “good gesture” of the Bangladesh government.

He said the Chinese foreign minister’s proposal has been recongised by both Bangladesh and Myanmar and also by the international community.

He said China believes peace in the neighbourhood is ‘more important’.

“It is a blessing to have good and peaceful neighbours. China also wishes to see peace and prosperity in the neighbourhood,” he said.

“We are happy to note that Bangladesh and Myanmar are making progress in solving the issue,” he said, referring to the signing of a deal between the two countries to repatriate the Rohingyas.

He also asked the international community to create “enabling environment” for the consultations between Myanmar and Bangladesh so that this issue can be “properly addressed for good and for long term”.