Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said on Tuesday that China’s relations with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami had faced barriers over the past decade, but efforts are now underway to improve ties.

“High-level delegations from both BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami recently visited China and engaged in governance-related discussions,” the ambassador said during a “DCAB Talk” hosted by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at the National Press Club in Dhaka.

“The Communist Party of China aims to foster relations with all political parties in Bangladesh. Despite past obstacles, we are now working to enhance cooperation,” he added.

Reaffirming Beijing’s policy of non-interference, Ambassador Yao said, “No matter the domestic developments in Bangladesh, China remains committed to strengthening trade, investment and people’s welfare.”

Regarding the upcoming national election, he said, “The timing and nature of the election are entirely internal matters for the Bangladesh government and its people. As a foreign diplomat, I am not in a position to comment.”

He added that China supports the interim government’s efforts to hold the elections peacefully and to pursue a development path suited to its national context.

Responding to a question about the recent aircraft crash at Milestone School and College in Uttara, Yao expressed deep sorrow and said China was ready to assist with the investigation if requested by the Bangladesh government.

On trilateral cooperation, the ambassador highlighted a recent foreign secretary-level meeting among Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan in Kunming, during which the three countries agreed to expand collaboration in 12 specific sectors.

“This is quite natural,” Yao said. “China maintains relations with many nations. We look forward to advancing trilateral cooperation with Bangladesh and Pakistan to achieve tangible outcomes.”

Ambassador Yao reiterated China’s commitment to its strategic partnership with Bangladesh, citing recent high-level engagements, including the visit of Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus to China and his meeting with President Xi Jinping.

“These meetings resulted in important understandings that provide strategic direction for the long-term development of bilateral relations,” he said.

The ambassador also mentioned recent discussions between CPC Politburo member and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain, where both sides reiterated their support for each other’s core interests and enhanced cooperation at regional and global levels.

“Developing friendly cooperation with China is a consensus among the Bangladeshi people,” Yao quoted the foreign affairs adviser as saying.

On the economic front, Yao noted that Chinese investment in Bangladesh has increased 3.7 times in the first quarter of 2025, making China the largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) since the interim government took office. He also cited the zero-tariff facility on all taxable Bangladeshi products until 2028 and the recent entry of Bangladeshi mangoes into the Chinese market as indicators of deepening trade ties.

He further highlighted robust people-to-people exchanges, with over 13,000 passengers flying weekly between the two countries and 15,000 Bangladeshi students currently enrolled in Chinese universities. 

Celebrations of 50 years of bilateral relations have included a drone show, medical cooperation, media exchanges, and education programmes.

In multilateral forums, Yao said China and Bangladesh continue to coordinate closely on UN platforms, especially in peacekeeping and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The ambassador also criticised unilateralism and protectionist trade policies, with implicit reference to U.S. actions, and voiced support for Bangladesh’s role in defending the multilateral trading system.

“We are ready to work with Bangladesh to resist unilateral bullying and uphold global fairness and justice,” he said.

The event was chaired by DCAB President AKM Moinuddin, with General Secretary Md Arifuzzaman Mamun delivering the welcome remarks.

SMS/