Chinese naval fleet begins goodwill visit to Bangladesh

Chinese naval fleet Qi Jiguang and Jing Gangshan arrived at Chattogram Port today on a goodwill visit, which marks significant importance for deepening China-Bangladesh friendship and cooperation.
During the fleet’s four-day goodwill visit, a series of events will take place, including bilateral meetings, ship open days, and deck reception, to enhance China and Bangladesh Navy cooperation and mutual trust, and contribute to the building of a maritime community of shared future, says a statement of the Chinese embassy.
“This visit marks the first occasion in four years since Chinese naval fleet last visited Bangladesh, and it is the first foreign naval fleet to visit since the establishment of Bangladesh interim government.”
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen welcomed the Chinese training fleet at the port. Diplomats from the Chinese embassy, representatives from enterprises and Confucius Institute attended the welcoming ceremony.
Later, Yao Wen and commanders of the Chinese naval fleet called on Rear Admiral Masud Iqbal, commander of the Chattogram Naval Area; Rear Admiral Md Moinul Hassan, Commander of the Bangladesh Navy Fleet, and Rear Admiral S M Moniruzzaman, Chairman of the Chattogram Port Authority.
In a statement, Chinese embassy said, “China and Bangladesh are traditionally friendly neighbours and comprehensive strategic cooperative partners. No matter what changes have taken place in the domestic situation of Bangladesh, China’s commitment to develop China-Bangladesh relations remains unchanged.”
Beijing looks forward to working closely with Dhaka to cement the traditional friendship, deepen friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation, he said.
Yao Wen said China is also eager to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and further advance the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new height.
The two sides had in-depth exchanges of views on China-Bangladesh friendship and cooperation.
“Both parties conveyed their strong confidence in the development of China-Bangladesh relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening defense and security cooperation.”