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Roundup: China keen to share experience, advanced technology to expedite Bangladesh's industrialization

Xinhua, March 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

China Monday said its always keen to share its experience and advanced technology with Bangladesh to expedite the country's industrialization.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ma Mingqiang Monday expressed China's keenness to extend support to Bangladesh in developing any of its mega infrastructure projects like that for constructing the country's first-ever deep-sea port in the Bay of Bengal.

"We're keenly interested to extend support to Bangladesh to build its deep-sea port in any suitable new location," said Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ma Mingqiang while interacting with diplomatic correspondents at the National Press Club in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Monday.

As the second biggest economy of the world, "China is always keen to share its experience and advanced technology with Bangladesh, to provide finance, technology and training personnel to Bangladesh without reservation, to expedite the latter's industrialization, to combine its advanced capacity with latter's needs," Ma said.

"China is also willing to help improve the skill of labor force in Bangladesh, so as to create more employment and strengthen the inner impetus of Bangladesh's sustainable development," he said.

The Bangladeshi government on several occasions had sought support from China to build the country's first deep-sea port.

The Bangladesh government initially planned to construct a deep-sea port on Sonadia Island under the country's southeastern Cox's Bazar district, 391 km southeast of capital Dhaka.

After the project was shelved, the government now plans to develop the first deep-sea port at Payra in Patuakhali district, some 204 km south of capital Dhaka.

A number of countries, including China, India, some Middle Eastern and European countries want to invest in different components of the deep-sea port project.

"So far we understand Bangladesh is in dire need for a deep-sea port... We've no problem to cooperate with other countries in helping Bangladesh to build its first deep seaport," Ma said.

Bangladesh needs to construct the deep-sea port as large-scale ships with a length longer than 188 meters can not pass through the narrow channel of the principal seaport Chittagong, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Ma said more and more Chinese investors are coming and investing in Bangladesh, while expressing satisfaction over the law and order situation in Bangladesh.

Ma said China's overseas direct investment has increased enormously in 2015. The total amount of FDI in 2015 is 127.6 billion U.S. dollars, a 10 percent growth compared to last year, he said, adding the year-on-year growth of China's investment to the countries along "Belt & road" region is 18.2 percent.

Countries along the Belt and Road have their own resource advantages and their economies are complementary, Ma said.

China and 34 countries have signed MoUs or agreements to jointly construct the "Road & Belt Initiative" in which Bangladesh is also a stakeholder.

The Chinese ambassador Ma mentioned that the friendship between China and Bangladesh has made sound momentum since 1975, and the two countries have established the comprehensive partnership of cooperation.

According to statistics of China's customs, the bilateral trade volume has reached 14.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2015.

China has provided numerous assistance to support Bangladesh's economic and social progress, including the seven China-Bangladesh Friendship bridges and Bangabandhu International Convention Center in Dhaka, Ma mentioned.

Recently, he said China and Bangladesh have reached census on the 8th China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge and China-Bangladesh Friendship Exposition Center, and China will provide assistance for the renovation of BICC.

He said China will donate a batch of medical, disaster relief and agriculture instruments to Bangladesh and is working on comprehensive plan of flood prevention and promoting hybrid rice technology. China also provides a large number of scholarship to Bangladeshi students.

"Last year, nearly 1,000 governmental officials and students went to China for training and further study," he said. Enditem