Developing good relations with China right choice for Bangladesh, Dilip Barua tells Xinhua

By AKM Moinuddin (Xinhua)

Dhaka, Oct 3 (UNB) - The relationship between China and Bangladesh has maintained steady development and the future of cooperation between the two countries will be very bright, Industries Minister Dilip Barua told news agency Xinhua.
“The relations will be bright years after years…developing good relations with China is the right choice for Bangladesh,” he said during an interview here ahead of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bangladesh, which falls on October 4.
Barua said the successive governments of Bangladesh are very much interested to develop and promote the relationship with China.
“Whichever government comes, they have to make good relations with China, because through our experiences, China is a dependent friend.”
Bangladesh appreciates the foreign policy of the Chinese government, he said, adding: “…China never interferes in the internal affairs of other countries, whatever the system of the country is.”
“That is the beauty of the Chinese government which is led by the Communist Party of China,” added Barua, also the general secretary of Samyabadi Dal (M-L).
Highly praising the great economic achievement China has made over the last few decades, he said: “In the context of economic development, not only me but people of Bangladesh also think Chinese economic development is a miracle.”
He said during the recent global economic meltdown, many western countries have been attacked and prevented from developing their economy. But China still maintains a bit higher economic growth.
He appreciated the ability of the Chinese leaders in dealing with the economic crisis.
Barua said since the diplomatic relationship was established on October 4, 1975, China and Bangladesh have had many successful cooperation in many areas including diplomacy, economy, culture and defense.
He believed that the cooperation between the two countries will be further promoted and strengthened with the joint efforts of the two governments.
He said the present Bangladesh government has given high importance to developing the relations with China since it took office in January 2009.
Barua said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sincerely believes in `One China’ policy. “She always tries to advocate that China is our dependable friend.”
He said the successful visits by Hasina to China and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to Bangladesh this year have pushed the relationship between the two countries to a new level.
The Industries Minister said during her visit to Beijing, Hasina invited China to help Bangladesh build a deep-sea port in the Bay of Bengal and she also expressed the desire to make the road link between Bangladesh and China through Myanmar, which will bring economic benefit for both countries.
“With the multinational connectivity, our people to people relations will also be strengthened.”
He said China is successful because they have a good leadership which takes people's interest as priority. “Chinese leadership always tries to do not for themselves, but for the interest of the common people and the country. This is a very important thing.”
Barua said the leaders of Bangladesh should learn from the Chinese leaders - their pragmatism and their philosophy of working for the people. “It is a good lesson for Bangladesh as well as the world.”
With his own experience of visiting China over a dozen times since 1987, Barua thinks developing good relations with China is the right choice for Bangladesh.
END/UNB/AKM/