Bangladesh-China ties hit highest level after Tarique Rahman's Beijing visit

Dhaka,UPDATED: Jun 27, 2026 21:40 IST

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Saturday said ties between Dhaka and Beijing had reached their "highest level" after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to China. Addressing a press conference a day after the prime minister returned from Beijing, he said the visit marked a major step up in China's bilateral engagement with Bangladesh.

Rahman said the trip delivered a "landmark upgrade" in relations and reflected Bangladesh's "growing strategic importance" in China's regional diplomacy. During the five-day visit, Rahman met Chinese President Xi Jinping and held bilateral talks with Premier Li Qiang.

The foreign minister said Bangladesh and China had agreed to institutionalise a strategic dialogue at the foreign minister level and launch a "2+2" dialogue mechanism covering diplomacy and defence. He said both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, covering large infrastructure projects as well as people-centric development initiatives.

According to Rahman, there was "significant progress" on the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, with China pledging support and both sides agreeing to speed up the project's feasibility study. The Teesta flows from the eastern Himalayas through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, where it is a key source of irrigation and livelihoods for millions. The river basin is near India's Siliguri Corridor, a 22-km narrow strip linking the mainland with the northeastern states.

The minister said the two countries had also agreed to expedite the Mongla Port Modernisation and Expansion Project and the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone Development Project in Chattogram. Bangladesh and China signed eight memorandums of understanding, three agreements, one protocol and one Joint Action Plan covering development cooperation, human resource development, agriculture, education, trade, investment and media cooperation.

Rahman said the prime minister first travelled to Malaysia on June 21 on his first foreign visit after taking office, before going on to China on June 22. On Friday, Xi expressed Beijing's support for Bangladesh in upholding its sovereignty and rejecting foreign interference, rounding off a visit that Dhaka described as a major upgrade in bilateral ties.

With PTI Inputs

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