As part of the growing Chinese involvement in Bangladesh’s domestic affairs, Beijing is dispatching one of its senior officials to Dhaka to discuss political issues as well as other bilateral matters with the country’s leaders. According to sources, Chinese vice-foreign minister Liu Zhenmin will arrive in the capital on a two-day visit to Bangladesh on Saturday (December 28), amid the current political impasse, regarding the system of governance during the election period. The visit is taking place little over two weeks after the visit of ambassador Luo Zhaohui, special envoy of the Chinese foreign ministry.
While in Dhaka, Liu Zhenmin, who is equivalent to a secretary in Bangladesh, will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition Khaldea Zia, and hold a bilateral meeting with his Bangladeshi counterpart, foreign secretary Md Shahidul Haque. He will also meet members of the civil society. His meeting with foreign minister AH Mahmood Ali is yet to be confirmed as the minister may be busy with his election campaign in his constituency in Dinajpur during the Chinese minister’s visit.
Liu Zhenmin also wanted to meet President Abdul Hamid, but the government has not agreed to this, said the sources, without elaborating further.
As the Chinese minister’s visit will take place merely three weeks after Indian foreign secretary Sujatha Singh visited Bangladesh, diplomatic sources and experts predict that the visit would have serious political implications.
“Like the visit of the Indian foreign secretary, this one is also a political trip in the guise of a bilateral visit,” a source told The Independent, adding: “It is to counter the visit of the Indian foreign secretary.”
“The Chinese official will carry special message from Beijing for the Awami League and BNP leadership that China wants peaceful solution to the current deadlock,” he said.
“Due to its strategic location, Bangladesh is very important to China, with particular reference to the Bay of Bengal. If Bangladesh becomes unstable, the stability of China is also at stake,” said another source.
“China wants to make clear to other players in the region, including India and the United States, that it is ready to make its presence felt. For this, China has departed from its previous practice by voicing concerns about the internal politics of Bangladesh for the last few months. Beijing wants a peaceful and participatory election, so that Bangladesh remains stable to ensure the security of existing and future investments of China,” he added.
During the bilateral meeting between the foreign secretary and the Chinese vice-foreign minister on Saturday afternoon, several issues relating to the BCIM, investment, expansion of trade and technology transfer would be discussed, said an official.
“He is coming to join others in advising Bangladesh on the recent political situation,” Ashfaqur Rahman, Bangladesh’s former ambassador to China, told The Independent. The Chinese are speaking about internal issues of Bangladesh at a time when India is influencing the politics of the country, he said. China is interested in making huge investments in Bangladesh in infrastructure projects and that is why it is emphasising on political stability, he added.
-With The Independent input
